HumanTrafficking.org | Hong Kong SAR Government Agency: Security Bureau

A web resource for combating human trafficking

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Hong Kong SAR

Security Bureau

Address

Hong Kong SAR Governmentity, Security Bureau
Central Governmental Offices
6/F, Main Wing, Lower Albert Road
Hong Kong

Contact Information

If calling from Hong Kong SAR:

Tel: 2810 2506
Fax: 2868 1552

If calling from overseas:

Tel: +852 2810 2506
Fax: +852 2868 1552

Website

http://www.sb.gov.hk/eng/about/welcome.htm

Email

sbenq@sb.gov.hk

Activities

The Principal Assistant Secretary for Security is the policy-level Hong Kong governmental official responsible for combating trafficking in persons. This position oversees all law enforcement activities relating to this issue.

The Security Bureau has policy responsibility for combating migrant trafficking and oversees the police, customs, and immigration departments, which are responsible for enforcing anti-trafficking laws. See Best Practices

It should be noted that human smuggling is listed as a special topic on the Security Bureau's up-to-date Web site, but not human trafficking. The Web site goes into detail about how Hong Kong prevents human smuggling.

The Security Bureau is responsible for combating migrant trafficking and overseeing the police, customs, and immigration departments, which are responsible for enforcing anti-trafficking laws. Law enforcement officials received special training on handling and protecting victims and vulnerable witnesses, including victims of trafficking. Security Bureau has instructed field offices to identify and carefully document cases in which trafficking is suspected. Law enforcement officers are deployed to monitor borders, airports, flights, and shipping.

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's Enforcement Effort

Under the policy directive of the Security Bureau, all law enforcement departments are taking concerted and coordinated efforts to halt human smuggling/trafficking-

(a) The Immigration Department and the Customs and Excise Department have continued to identify suspect vessels used in sea-borne smuggling/trafficking operations and to intercept vessels believed to be modified/adapted for use in transporting illegal immigrants.

(b) The Immigration Department exercises full vigilance at airport immigration counters. Surveillance operations are conducted at the transit lounge, transfer area, docks and departure gates to combat the increasing use of HKSAR as a transit avenue of migrants who enter on legitimate travel documents that are then exchanged in transit locations for forged or falsely acquired third country documents.

(c) In addition to the stringent actions in ensuring the integrity of the land border and sea boundary of the SAR on a day-to-day basis, the Hong Kong Police collect intelligence and investigate suspect organisers and conduct joint investigations with other enforcement agencies as and when appropriate.

(d) There are exchanges of intelligence between different law enforcement agencies, with local consulates, and with foreign as well as Mainland authorities on activities of forgery syndicates, trends and related matters.

(e) The Security Bureau adopts a tough prosecution policy against forged travel document users, couriers and suppliers. The maximum penalty for arranging passage to HKSAR of unauthorised entrants is a fine of $5,000,000 and imprisonment for 14 years.