Speech by SCST at Hong Kong Fashion Fest Preview
Following is the speech by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, at the Hong Kong Fashion Fest Preview today (October 24):
Distinguished guests, friends from the fashion design industries and the media,
Welcome to the preview for the Hong Kong Fashion Fest, our new brand for the Hong Kong Fashion Design Week, which is an initiative introduced by the Chief Executive in his Policy Address last year.
Being a new flagship event, the Hong Kong Fashion Fest consolidates fashion design events, promotes Hong Kong's fashion and textile design brands, and reaffirms Hong Kong's position as a prime destination for hosting major cultural and creative events. The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency of my bureau has been closely engaging stakeholders in the past year to realise the idea.
The first Hong Kong Fashion Fest will be held between November 20 and December 4, offering a variety of programmes, including a summit and a forum for high-level discussions on the development of the industry, fashion shows and exhibitions showcasing the work of local and overseas designers in haute couture fashion, workwear, evening wear and other types of clothing, and a cross-sector soiree.
Not only will the Hong Kong Fashion Fest showcase the soft power of Hong Kong in fashion design, it will be a platform for local and international fashion designers and brands, and enhance collaboration of Hong Kong's fashion design industries with the rest of the world. We envisage that the Hong Kong Fashion Fest will attract 150000 participants from over 15 countries and regions. It will fully demonstrate Hong Kong's role as the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.
The Hong Kong Fashion Fest will be an annual signature event signifying Hong Kong as Asia's fashion design hub. I look forward to enjoying the wonderful programmes of the Hong Kong Fashion Fest with you. Thank you.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the speech.)
Speech by SCST at Hong Kong Fashion Fest Preview Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
12 persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operations
The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations codenamed "Greenlane" and "Twilight", and joint operations with the Hong Kong Police Force codenamed "Windsand", for four consecutive days from October 21 to yesterday (October 24). A total of 11 suspected illegal workers and one suspected employer were arrested.
During the anti-illegal worker operations, ImmD Task Force officers raided 28 target locations including premises under renovation, refuse rooms and restaurants. Eleven suspected illegal workers and one suspected employer were arrested. The arrested suspected illegal workers comprised seven men and four women, aged 27 to 58. Among them, one man, aged 54, was a holder of recognisance form, which prohibits him from taking any employment. In addition, one man, aged 52, was suspected of employing the illegal workers and was also arrested.
An ImmD spokesman said, "Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years' imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties."
The spokesman warned, "As stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land is prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining in any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years' imprisonment."
The spokesman reiterated that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years' imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years' imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.
According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee's identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker's valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.
Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) victims. When any TIP indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the ImmD officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP elements, such as threats and coercion in the recruitment phase and the nature of exploitation. Identified TIP victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter or temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.
12 persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operations Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
