Facts and Statistics
| 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Forged travel documents detected | 109 | 419 |
| Mainland illegal immigrants apprehended and repatriated | 787 | 603 |
| Illegal workers prosecuted (excluding sex workers) |
539 | 943 |
| Employers of illegal workers prosecuted | 138 | 109 |
| No. of prosecution instituted | 2 930 | 4 263 |
Torture/Non-refoulement Claim Cases
(as at End of December 2024)
Please Select:
| Year | Made | Determined | Withdrawn or Taken No Further Action | Outstanding (Cumulative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| before 2005 | 53 | 0 | 4 | 49 |
| 2005 | 211 | 1 | 30 | 229 |
| 2006 | 528 | 43 | 54 | 660 |
| 2007 | 1 584 | 82 | 51 | 2 111 |
| 2008[1] | 2 198 | 179 | 132 | 3 998 |
| 2009[2] | 3 286 | 0 | 1 037 | 6 340[3] |
| 2010 | 1 809 | 214 | 1 186 | 6 749 |
| 2011 | 1 432 | 932 | 802 | 6 447 |
| 2012 | 1 174 | 1 575 | 1 154 | 4 892 |
| 2013 | 491 | 1 813 | 778 | 2 792 |
| 2014 | 8 851[4] | 1 047 | 978 | 9 618 |
| 2015 | 5 053 | 2 339 | 1 410 | 10 922 |
| 2016 | 3 838 | 3 218 | 1 561 | 9 981 |
| 2017 | 1 843 | 4 182 | 1 743 | 5 899 |
| 2018 | 1 216 | 5 467 | 1 102 | 546 |
| 2019 | 1 213 | 1 344 | 149 | 266 |
| 2020[5] | 1 223 | 857 | 69 | 563 |
| 2021[5] | 2 528 | 2 220 | 130 | 741 |
| 2022 | 1 257 | 1 727 | 70 | 201 |
| 2023 | 2 135 | 1 437 | 59 | 840 |
| 2024 | 2 814 | 2 715 | 97 | 842 |
| Total on Torture/ non-refoulement Claims |
44 737 | 31 392 | 12 596 | 842 |
[1] The Court of First Instance of the High Court (CFI) held in December 2008 that the Administration should provide legal assistance to a torture claimant during the screening process and provide suitable training for the decision makers. The Immigration Department (ImmD) then suspended all screening works.
[2] The Legislative Council passed the Immigration (Amendment) Ordinance 2009 in November 2009, making it an offence for illegal immigrants to take any employment or establish or join in any business. The ImmD implemented the enhanced administrative mechanism in December 2009.
[3] This includes 93 reviewed cases.
[4] On commencement of the Unified Screening Mechanism (USM) on 3 March 2014, there were 2 501 outstanding torture claims. Separately, 4 198 persons have lodged non-refoulement claims on applicable grounds (other than torture) (in which 2 962 cases were lodged by rejected or withdrawn torture claimants), making a total of 6 699 non-refoulement claims pending determination on commencement of the USM.
[5] From 2020 to early 2021, due to the special work arrangements during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, only limited publicly-funded legal assistance could be provided to claimants, which delayed the commencement of the screening procedure of some claims.
Between the commencement of the enhanced administrative mechanism (late 2009) and December 2024, determinations have been made in 31 087 torture/non-refoulement claims, among which 355 were substantiated. A breakdown by nationality of the substantiated claimants is as follows:
| Nationality | Number of claimants |
|---|---|
| Pakistani | 49 |
| Yemeni | 43 |
| Indonesian | 25 |
| Rwandan | 25 |
| Somali | 24 |
| Egyptian | 22 |
| Sri Lankan | 19 |
| Bangladeshi | 17 |
| Congolese (Democratic Republic of) | 15 |
| Cameroonian | 13 |
| Burundian | 12 |
| Afghan | 10 |
| Zimbabwean | 9 |
| Jordanian | 8 |
| Nepalese | 7 |
| Central African | 6 |
| Ethiopian | 6 |
| Indian | 5 |
| Ugandan | 5 |
| Iranian | 4 |
| Gambian | 3 |
| Turk | 3 |
| Colombian | 2 |
| Kenyan | 2 |
| Moroccan | 2 |
| Nigerian | 2 |
| Sudanese | 2 |
| Togolese | 2 |
| Ukrainian | 2 |
| Venezuelan | 2 |
| Belarusian | 1 |
| Eritrean | 1 |
| Filipino | 1 |
| Guinean | 1 |
| Nigerien | 1 |
| South African | 1 |
| Syrian | 1 |
| Thai | 1 |
| Vietnamese | 1 |
| Total | 355 |
As at 31 December 2024, there were 842 outstanding non-refoulement claims and breakdown on the profiling of the claimants is as follows:
| Sex | Number of claimants |
|---|---|
| Male | 521 |
| Female | 321 |
| Total | 842 |
| Age | Number of claimants |
|---|---|
| Under 18 | 86 |
| 18 to 30 | 225 |
| 31 to 40 | 323 |
| Above 40 | 208 |
| Total | 842 |
| Nationality | Number of claimants |
|---|---|
| Indonesian | 237 |
| Indian | 148 |
| Vietnamese | 119 |
| Bangladeshi | 64 |
| Filipino | 63 |
| Thai | 62 |
| Pakistani | 58 |
| Egyptian | 18 |
| Nigerian | 13 |
| Others | 60 |
| Total | 842 |
| Status in Hong Kong | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Overstayers | 66% |
| Illegal Immigrants | 25% |
| Others (Including persons refused entry and persons born in Hong Kong with the right of abode in Hong Kong not established) |
9% |
| 2021 (Since September 2021) |
||
|---|---|---|
| Number of admissions of detainees by sex | Male | Female |
| 559 | 456 | |
| Total | 1015 | |
| Number of cases of self-harm or suicide committed by detainees | 1 | |
| Number of physical confrontations involving detainees | 9 | |
| Number of cases involving injury of staff and detainees as a result of physical confrontations | 6 | |
| Number of indiscipline cases involving detainees | 31 | |
Number of admissions of detainees by country/region
| Country/Region | 2021 (Since September 2021) |
|---|---|
| Australia | 1 |
| Bangladesh | 46 |
| Bolivia | 1 |
| Britain | 1 |
| Bulgaria | 1 |
| Canada | 2 |
| Colombia | 8 |
| Congo (Democratic Republic of) | 1 |
| Egypt | 1 |
| France | 1 |
| Gambia | 4 |
| Germany | 1 |
| Ghana | 2 |
| Guinea | 5 |
| India | 81 |
| Indonesia | 109 |
| Japan | 2 |
| Kenya | 4 |
| Korea | 5 |
| Macao Special Administrative Region | 2 |
| Mainland China | 420 |
| Malaysia | 1 |
| Mexico | 1 |
| Mongolia | 5 |
| Mozambique | 2 |
| Nepal | 20 |
| Niger | 1 |
| Nigeria | 5 |
| Pakistan | 59 |
| Philippines | 60 |
| Poland | 1 |
| South Africa | 1 |
| Sri Lanka | 5 |
| Tanzania | 11 |
| Thailand | 14 |
| Tonga | 1 |
| Tunisia | 1 |
| Uganda | 5 |
| Vietnam | 123 |
| Zimbabwe | 1 |
| Total | 1015 |
| 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number of admissions of detainees by sex | Male | Female |
| 1467 | 1326 | |
| Total | 2793 | |
| Number of cases of self-harm or suicide committed by detainees | 7 | |
| Number of physical confrontations involving detainees | 18 | |
| Number of cases involving injury of staff and detainees as a result of physical confrontations | 9 | |
| Number of indiscipline cases involving detainees | 73 | |
Number of admissions of detainees by country/region
| Country/Region | 2022 |
|---|---|
| Algeria | 3 |
| Bangladesh | 149 |
| Belize | 2 |
| Benin | 5 |
| Bolivia | 2 |
| Brazil (Federative Republic of) | 2 |
| Britain | 3 |
| Canada | 2 |
| Chile | 1 |
| Colombia | 18 |
| Egypt | 2 |
| France | 2 |
| Gambia | 13 |
| Ghana | 3 |
| Guinea | 6 |
| India | 239 |
| Indonesia | 352 |
| Japan | 2 |
| Kenya | 8 |
| Macao Special Administrative Region | 3 |
| Madagascar | 1 |
| Mainland China | 1003 |
| Malaysia | 7 |
| Mali | 2 |
| Mexico | 1 |
| Mongolia | 17 |
| Nepal | 58 |
| New Zealand | 1 |
| Niger | 1 |
| Nigeria | 22 |
| Pakistan | 148 |
| Panama (Republic of) | 1 |
| Peru | 2 |
| Philippines | 203 |
| Russia | 3 |
| Singapore | 1 |
| Somalia | 1 |
| South Africa | 5 |
| Sri Lanka | 29 |
| Taiwan | 12 |
| Tanzania | 17 |
| Thailand | 91 |
| Tunisia | 1 |
| Uganda | 4 |
| U.S.A. | 8 |
| Venezuela | 7 |
| Vietnam | 328 |
| Zambia (Republic of) | 2 |
| Total | 2793 |
| 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number of admissions of detainees by sex | Male | Female |
| 2756 | 2439 | |
| Total | 5195 | |
| Number of cases of self-harm or suicide committed by detainees | 8 | |
| Number of physical confrontations involving detainees | 8 | |
| Number of cases involving injury of staff and detainees as a result of physical confrontations | 8 | |
| Number of indiscipline cases involving detainees | 41 | |
Number of admissions of detainees by country/region
| Country/Region | 2023 |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 2 |
| Australia | 1 |
| Bangladesh | 597 |
| Benin | 3 |
| Bolivia | 3 |
| Brazil (Federative Republic of) | 1 |
| Britain | 4 |
| Chad | 2 |
| Colombia | 10 |
| Congo (Democratic Republic of) | 1 |
| Cote d'Ivoire (Republic of) | 1 |
| Czech Republic | 1 |
| Fiji | 1 |
| Gambia | 16 |
| Ghana | 1 |
| Guatemala | 1 |
| Guinea | 1 |
| India | 386 |
| Indonesia | 813 |
| Iran | 1 |
| Israel | 2 |
| Japan | 8 |
| Jordan | 5 |
| Kazakhstan | 3 |
| Kenya | 14 |
| Korea | 9 |
| Laos | 2 |
| Macao Special Administrative Region | 1 |
| Madagascar | 8 |
| Mainland China | 1625 |
| Malaysia | 10 |
| Mali | 1 |
| Mexico | 2 |
| Mongolia | 24 |
| Morocco | 3 |
| Mozambique | 2 |
| Myanmar | 1 |
| Nepal | 69 |
| Netherlands | 1 |
| New Zealand | 1 |
| Niger | 7 |
| Nigeria | 28 |
| Pakistan | 437 |
| Peru | 5 |
| Philippines | 329 |
| Portugal | 1 |
| Russia | 19 |
| Singapore | 2 |
| South Africa | 3 |
| Sri Lanka | 36 |
| Taiwan | 11 |
| Tanzania | 20 |
| Thailand | 186 |
| Tunisia | 3 |
| Uganda | 5 |
| Ukraine | 2 |
| U.S.A. | 5 |
| Venezuela | 1 |
| Vietnam | 457 |
| Zimbabwe | 1 |
| Total | 5195 |
| 2021 (Since September 2021) |
||
|---|---|---|
| Number of admissions of detainees by sex | Male | Female |
| 661 | 707 | |
| Total | 1368 | |
| Number of cases of self-harm or suicide committed by detainees | 1 | |
| Number of physical confrontations involving detainees | 0 | |
| Number of cases involving injury of staff and detainees as a result of physical confrontations | 0 | |
Number of admissions of detainees by country/region
| Country/Region | 2021 (Since September 2021) |
|---|---|
| Bangladesh | 69 |
| Canada | 5 |
| Colombia | 3 |
| Egypt | 2 |
| France | 2 |
| Gambia | 5 |
| Ghana | 4 |
| Guinea | 1 |
| Hong Kong Special Administrative Region | 3 |
| India | 71 |
| Indonesia | 148 |
| Korea | 2 |
| Macao Special Administrative Region | 1 |
| Mainland China | 715 |
| Mongolia | 1 |
| Mozambique | 1 |
| Namibia | 2 |
| Nepal | 11 |
| Pakistan | 55 |
| Philippines | 78 |
| Poland | 1 |
| Sri Lanka | 8 |
| Taiwan | 2 |
| Thailand | 16 |
| Uganda | 1 |
| U.S.A. | 2 |
| Vietnam | 159 |
| Total | 1368 |
| 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number of admissions of detainees by sex | Male | Female |
| 1196 | 1370 | |
| Total | 2566 | |
| Number of cases of self-harm or suicide committed by detainees | 4 | |
| Number of physical confrontations involving detainees | 1 | |
| Number of cases involving injury of staff and detainees as a result of physical confrontations | 1 | |
Number of admissions of detainees by country/region
| Country/Region | 2022 |
|---|---|
| Algeria | 1 |
| Bangladesh | 97 |
| Benin | 4 |
| Bolivia | 1 |
| Brazil (Federative Republic of) | 2 |
| Britain | 1 |
| Colombia | 8 |
| France | 4 |
| Gambia | 4 |
| Ghana | 4 |
| Hong Kong Special Administrative Region | 4 |
| India | 214 |
| Indonesia | 532 |
| Kenya | 3 |
| Mainland China | 1006 |
| Malaysia | 7 |
| Mexico | 1 |
| Mongolia | 3 |
| Nepal | 32 |
| New Zealand | 2 |
| Nigeria | 6 |
| Pakistan | 108 |
| Peru | 8 |
| Philippines | 217 |
| Russia | 8 |
| South Africa | 4 |
| Sri Lanka | 23 |
| Taiwan | 1 |
| Thailand | 36 |
| Uganda | 1 |
| Ukraine | 3 |
| U. S. A. | 4 |
| Venezuela | 3 |
| Vietnam | 214 |
| Total | 2566 |
| 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number of admissions of detainees by sex | Male | Female |
| 1687 | 1854 | |
| Total | 3541 | |
| Number of cases of self-harm or suicide committed by detainees | 0 | |
| Number of physical confrontations involving detainees | 0 | |
| Number of cases involving injury of staff and detainees as a result of physical confrontations | 0 | |
Number of admissions of detainees by country/region
| Country/Region | 2023 |
|---|---|
| Australia | 2 |
| Bangladesh | 260 |
| Benin | 1 |
| Bolivia | 2 |
| Burkina Faso | 1 |
| Canada | 1 |
| Colombia | 2 |
| Gambia | 4 |
| Germany | 1 |
| Hong Kong Special Administrative Region | 12 |
| India | 252 |
| Indonesia | 1053 |
| Jordan | 1 |
| Kenya | 3 |
| Korea | 5 |
| Laos | 2 |
| Macao Special Administrative Region | 3 |
| Madagascar | 9 |
| Mainland China | 981 |
| Malaysia | 1 |
| Mexico | 2 |
| Mongolia | 10 |
| Morocco | 3 |
| Myanmar | 1 |
| Nepal | 24 |
| New Zealand | 2 |
| Niger | 11 |
| Pakistan | 207 |
| Philippines | 237 |
| Poland | 1 |
| Russia | 9 |
| Singapore | 2 |
| South Africa | 4 |
| Sri Lanka | 20 |
| Taiwan | 13 |
| Tanzania | 1 |
| Thailand | 168 |
| Türkiye | 4 |
| Uganda | 4 |
| U.S.A. | 2 |
| Vanuatu | 1 |
| Venezuela | 1 |
| Vietnam | 218 |
| Total | 3541 |
13-01-2025
