Publications and Press Releases

22 February 2023

A Mainland man was charged at the Sha Tin Magistrates' Courts with one count of making false representation to an Immigration Department (ImmD) staff member, and was sentenced to four months' imprisonment yesterday (February 21).

According to the record of the ImmD, the 51-year-old defendant married a Hong Kong resident in the Mainland in 2015. Since then until early 2020, the defendant had visited Hong Kong on the strength of the "Tanqin" exit endorsement. The ImmD later found out that the defendant's wife had passed away in Hong Kong in September 2018, but the defendant continued to visit Hong Kong on the strength of the "Tanqin" exit endorsement. Thus, the ImmD began an investigation against the defendant.

On February 18, 2023, the defendant intended to arrive in Hong Kong through the Lo Wu Control Point. In view of the dubious purpose of the visit, the defendant was refused landing by the ImmD and was further investigated.

In the course of investigation, the defendant admitted under caution that he had lost contact with his wife in 2018 and that he continued to use his "Tanqin" exit endorsement to visit Hong Kong for convenience. The defendant was subsequently charged with the offence of making false representation to Immigration staff for the purpose of visiting. The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to four months' imprisonment by the Sha Tin Magistrates' Court yesterday.

"Under the laws of Hong Kong, any person who makes false representation to an Immigration officer commits an offence. Offenders are liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, subject to the maximum penalty of a fine of $150,000 and imprisonment for 14 years," an ImmD spokesman said.