Hong Kong’s Immigration Department rounded off its pre-holiday enforcement blitz on 16 February by announcing 36 arrests for illegal employment, including 12 suspected undocumented workers caught selling gifts and flowers at Lunar-New-Year street markets. Officers, backed by Police and Labour Department units, fanned out to festival bazaars across all 18 districts after intelligence suggested a spike in short-term hiring of un-documented labour. Six stall owners are now facing prosecution for employing persons not lawfully employable.
Beyond the festive markets, investigators also raided restaurants, garages and retail shops, detaining another 12 suspected illegal workers—four of whom were asylum seekers holding recognisance papers—and a woman alleged to have used a forged Hong Kong identity card. Three men accused of facilitating or abetting illegal employment were likewise taken into custody.
![Immigration Department Arrests 36 People in Lunar-New-Year Crackdown on Illegal Work]()
Companies that need to move staff into Hong Kong quickly—whether for a pop-up booth or a longer-term assignment—can turn to VisaHQ for step-by-step assistance securing the correct visas and work permits. The service’s Hong Kong platform (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) offers online application tools, document checks and status tracking, helping employers avoid the fines and jail terms that come with non-compliance.
Employers in breach of Hong Kong’s Immigration Ordinance face up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a HK $500,000 fine, while illegal workers can be jailed for up to three years and fined HK $50,000. The department deployed advertising trucks and outreach staff at flower-market venues to remind vendors that even “one-day helpers” must hold valid work rights.
For multinational retailers running pop-up stalls and promotional booths during the holiday rush, the arrests are a sharp reminder that authorities have zero tolerance for paperwork shortcuts. Mobility teams should double-check that any short-term assignees—from regional brand ambassadors to fit-out contractors—hold appropriate employment visas or a General Employment Policy exemption letter. Vendors hiring part-time cashiers or packers are advised to keep copies of travel documents and right-to-work proofs on site for spot checks.
Beyond the festive markets, investigators also raided restaurants, garages and retail shops, detaining another 12 suspected illegal workers—four of whom were asylum seekers holding recognisance papers—and a woman alleged to have used a forged Hong Kong identity card. Three men accused of facilitating or abetting illegal employment were likewise taken into custody.
Companies that need to move staff into Hong Kong quickly—whether for a pop-up booth or a longer-term assignment—can turn to VisaHQ for step-by-step assistance securing the correct visas and work permits. The service’s Hong Kong platform (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) offers online application tools, document checks and status tracking, helping employers avoid the fines and jail terms that come with non-compliance.
Employers in breach of Hong Kong’s Immigration Ordinance face up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a HK $500,000 fine, while illegal workers can be jailed for up to three years and fined HK $50,000. The department deployed advertising trucks and outreach staff at flower-market venues to remind vendors that even “one-day helpers” must hold valid work rights.
For multinational retailers running pop-up stalls and promotional booths during the holiday rush, the arrests are a sharp reminder that authorities have zero tolerance for paperwork shortcuts. Mobility teams should double-check that any short-term assignees—from regional brand ambassadors to fit-out contractors—hold appropriate employment visas or a General Employment Policy exemption letter. Vendors hiring part-time cashiers or packers are advised to keep copies of travel documents and right-to-work proofs on site for spot checks.
