The Immigration Department held a 2022 year-end press conference today (17th). Director of Immigration Au Jiahong pointed out that in 2022, the total number of arrivals and departures will be 5.3 million, an increase of 1.5 times compared with 2021, and the annual number of visitors to Hong Kong will be 600,000. The number of people increased by 5.6 times.
As the epidemic slowed down and citizens traveled more, the Immigration Department received 650,000 passport applications from October to December last year, a record high, with an average of 100,000 applications per month.
On January 17, the Immigration Department held a 2022 year-end press conference.
(Photo by Kong Fanxu)
Looking back on his work in the past year, Au Jiahong recorded a total of 5.3 million entry and exit trips in 2022, an increase of 1.5 times compared to 1.95 million in 2021. There were 600,000 visitors to Hong Kong throughout the year, an increase of 5.6 times, and more than 370,000 visits from the mainland , an increase of 4.7 times, and 230,000 other visitors, an increase of 7.9 times.
Among the tourists who visited Hong Kong throughout the year, there were 500,000 at the airport, 97,000 by land, and 6,000 by sea. He pointed out that after customs clearance in Hong Kong and the mainland, the Immigration Department has conducted drills at the port, and he looks forward to Hong Kong's full "activity".
He also pointed out that based on last year, there were 900,000 citizens whose passports had expired. The Immigration Department will launch a mobile application vehicle in July and September 2022, visit 18 districts to remind them to renew their passports, and provide services for more than 10,000 citizens; October last year By December, the Immigration Department had received 650,000 passport applications, a record high, and received 100,000 applications per month, nearly 70% higher than the previous average of 60,000.
In terms of fraud cases in Southeast Asia, the Rescue Team added a WhatsApp hotline for help, and distributed leaflets at the airport to be careful of fraud cases. So far, the Immigration Department has received a total of 46 requests for help, of which 42 Hong Kong residents were confirmed safe. With the assistance of the Mainland, 32 people returned to Hong Kong safely , 10 No further assistance and follow-up is required.
On July 2, 2020, the State Council appointed Au Jiahong as Director of Immigration.
(File photo/photo by Li Zetong)
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