Safety first:
Under Secretary for Security Lai Tung-kwok (right) appeals to Hong Kong people in Tokyo to seriously consider leaving the city.
Immigration
The Immigration Department controls the movement of people into and out of Hong Kong. It also issues HKSAR passports and other travel documents, visas and identity cards, and handles nationality matters and the registration of births, deaths and marriages.
HK people advised to leave Tokyo
March 17, 2011
Under Secretary for Security Lai Tung-kwok has appealed to Hong Kong people in Tokyo to seriously consider leaving the city, either by departing the country or moving to its southern areas.
He made the appeal this afternoon saying the nuclear crisis in Fukushima Prefecture is severe, warning it will be difficult for Hong Kong people to vacate Tokyo quickly if the situation worsens.
Cathay Pacific will provide additional flights tonight and tomorrow night to bring Hong Kong people home from Tokyo. Tonight's flight will depart Narita Airport at 9.50pm.
Noting the Government has been closely monitoring the radiation level in Tokyo, Mr Lai said the figure remains stable, so there is no need to extend the black outbound travel alert to the city. However, he urged Hong Kong people who need to stay in Tokyo to register with the Government so it can contact them when necessary.
Enquiries, requests
By 3pm today, the department had received 5,821 enquiries and 1,256 requests for help. Four-hundred-and-seventy cases concerned people who had lost contact with their families.
Officers have made contact with most of the people who lost contact with their families and are still trying to contact 18 people. The Immigration Department has passed the information to the Chinese Embassy in Japan.
Five-hundred-and-eighty people requested an early return to Hong Kong. Arrangements have been made for most of them, and officers are following up on the remaining 43 cases.
Noting there have been fraudulent donation-collection webpages and false claims about the city's radiation level circulating on the Internet, Mr Lai reminded the public to be cautious and to contact Government departments when they are in doubt. He urged people to use the Internet in a legal and responsible manner, adding its illegal use is a criminal offence.
A health desk has been set up at Hong Kong International Airport. Tourists arriving from Japan can ask for help at the desk if they feel unwell. By 2.30pm, 324 tourists had asked for radiation checks and all have been confirmed safe.
Flight services
Cathay Pacific Director (Corporate Affairs) Quince Chong said a total of 2,500 flight seats will be available today and tomorrow to bring Hong Kong people in Tokyo home.
Noting the company will closely monitor the situation to cater for the demand, she said it will co-ordinate with the Government and deploy its resources to help Hong Kong people in Japan return home.
Recent assessments show it is safe to maintain normal flight services between Hong Kong and Tokyo, she added.
