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| The new system will bar certain travelers from seeing the inside of the HK Airport |
Those planning to go to Hong Kong to apply for non-refoulement or asylum, take note. You may not even get to board that plane that you hope would take you to the city.
That's because from Tuesday, September 3, Hong Kong Immigration began implementing its Advance Passenger Information (API) System, which could lead airlines to refuse boarding certain inbound travelers.
According to a press release issued by Immigration yesterday, the API system has been put in place in line with aviation security requirements of the Convention on International Civil Aviation and to align Hong Kong with other aviation hubs worldwide.
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But at the same time, it will allow Immigration “to further enhance its passenger clearance and enforcement capabilities to prevent undesirables, including potential non-refoulement claimants, from boarding flights heading to Hong Kong.”
Immigration hastened to add that all permanent residents will not be stopped from boarding a flight to Hong Kong, as their right to travel, as well as leave and enter the city, are guaranteed under the Basic Law and the Bill of Rights Ordinance.
“The API system will not issue a no-board direction against Hong Kong permanent residents who enjoy the right of abode in Hong Kong,” assured Immigration.
Under Hong Kong’s API Regulation, aircraft operators are obliged to transmit advance information to Immigration about flights and passengers heading to Hong Kong.
“During check-in for a flight heading to Hong Kong, the aircraft operator will
capture the required API data from a traveller's travel document and transmit
the API data of each traveller and the aircraft information to the API System,
which will instantly process the information and provide a response message,
i.e. a board or no-board direction, for each traveller back to the aircraft
operator,” said the statement.
“The aircraft operator shall act upon the direction given through the API System, i.e. to allow or not allow specific travellers to board the aircraft heading to Hong Kong."
Immigration added that the rollout of the API system will be done in phases to allow sufficient time for over 100 aircraft operators to get connected. Once in place, a transitional period of around 12 months will also be adopted before the Regulation providing for offences and defences take effect starting from Sept 1, 2025.
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