Hong Kong repatriates 30 Vietnamese non-refoulement claimants in largest single-day removal this year

Hong Kong’s Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted its most significant repatriation exercise of 2026 on 24 April, escorting 30 Vietnamese nationals—13 men and 17 women—onto a charter flight bound for Hanoi. All were rejected non-refoulement claimants, several of whom had completed prison sentences for criminal offences. The operation was carried out under the streamlined removal policy introduced in December 2022, which allows deportations to proceed once any judicial review application has been dismissed by the Court of First Instance. The non-refoulement system has long been a pressure point for the territory’s immigration regime. Government figures show that Vietnamese nationals account for about 16 % of the 14,000 outstanding claims, and removal bottlenecks have strained detention capacity at Castle Peak Bay Immigration Centre. By chartering a dedicated flight and coordinating with Vietnamese authorities and local airlines, ImmD shaved several weeks off the usual escort-transfer timeline. The department signalled that more group removals are imminent.



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Since late 2025, Hong Kong has intensified liaison with the main source countries of unsuccessful claimants, including Vietnam, Pakistan and India, to negotiate bilateral readmission protocols and expedite the issuance of travel documents. Officials argue the tougher stance is necessary to deter abuse of the screening system, which they say is frequently used by illegal workers rather than genuine refugees. For employers, the development reinforces the importance of robust right-to-work checks: fines for hiring persons without valid leave have risen to HK $500,000 and up to three years’ imprisonment. Mobility managers should also note that overstayers caught working illegally can now be summarily removed once their appeals are exhausted, shortening the window for any last-minute humanitarian interventions. Looking ahead, analysts expect Hong Kong to replicate the charter-flight model with other high-volume claimant cohorts. While the policy may ease detention overcrowding, NGOs warn that accelerated processes risk overlooking potential protection issues. Companies moving staff through Hong Kong should therefore monitor any further tightening that could affect dependants or short-term assignees whose status lapses unexpectedly.