Bringing HK people home

June 28, 2020

Meeting demands:

The Assistance to Hong Kong Residents 24-hour Hotline (852) 1868 opened all 46 lines to deal with the surging demand during the pandemic.

Extra hands:

During the pandemic, around 500 people were deployed to the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit and a special command centre on another floor of the Immigration Headquarters had to be set up.

Concerted effort:

Senior Immigration Officer Leung Hing-wah (right) says it took extra effort to plan the rescue of Hong Kong residents stranded in rarely heard places during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tech edge:

Chief Immigration Officer Kwong Wai-yin says the possibility of using latest technology phone applications, communication software or special emails is being explored to expedite assistance requests from Hong Kong citizens.

Giving thanks:

Some rescued passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship have presented a plaque dedicated to the unit and praised the Government’s efforts in bringing them home.

Across time:

As requests for assistance come from different places, there are clocks showing different time zones in Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit’s office.

Download Video| Transcript

Voiceover:
Since January, phones in one particular Immigration Department office have been ringing constantly.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several countries implemented flight restrictions or immigration control measures that left many Hong Kong residents stranded abroad. 

They turned to the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents 24-hour Hotline (852) 1868 for help, which has a total of 46 lines available to deal with the surging demand.

So far, it has received more than 15,000 requests for assistance via telephone calls and emails.

During its peak time, more than 400 cases were recorded in an hour.

Senior Immigration Officer Leung Hing-wah (Translation):
Flight restrictions or immigration control measures always take effect one day after an official announcement. It often catches tourists off guard and leaves them stranded. This is when they call us for help to get home. Given that we have to deal with an increasing number of cases from different time zones, our colleagues need to work around the clock. 

Voiceover:
With that previous rescue experience under his belt, Mr Leung participated in the operation to bring home Hong Kong residents stranded on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan. 

Three chartered flights were arranged to ensure 200 residents were returned home safely.

Senior Immigration Officer Leung Hing-wah (Translation):
This was the most memorable operation for me so far. One couple that had contracted COVID-19 left a deep impression on me. At first, they were sent to different hospitals for treatment. The husband wanted our help in arranging for them to stay in the same hospital. After many rounds of co-ordination, we were finally able to do so. The husband was able to be by his wife’s side when her condition deteriorated and she eventually died. The whole situation touched me deeply and taught me to cherish what I have.

Voiceover:
Some rescued passengers presented a plaque dedicated to the unit and praised the Government’s efforts in bringing them home.

Apart from Japan, the department also arranged and helped co-ordinate flights for Hong Kong residents stranded in places including Wuhan, Peru, Morocco, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.

In order to run these operations smoothly, personnel at the headquarters are equally important.

Chief Immigration Officer Kwong Wai-yin (Translation):
As for the chartered flights, we have to ensure as many passengers as possible can get on the plane. We also have to provide them with plenty of information, like how and when to get to the airport or the transport we have arranged. The workload was so massive that we had to set up a special command centre on another floor of the headquarters.

Voiceover:
Ms Kwong said in addition to the 26 authorised personnel, at least 500 people were deployed to the unit to help answer phone calls, reply to emails or work abroad for the COVID-19 fight.

A similar arrangement was in place in 2011, she recalled, but the number of people involved is much higher this time because of the unprecedented pandemic situation.
 
The channels through which to seek help have also advanced a lot from a decade ago.

Chief Immigration Officer Kwong Wai-yin (Translation):
Smart phones were not popular back then, but they are everywhere nowadays and it makes our work so much easier.
We are now studying the possibility of using various phone applications, special emails or communication software for Hong Kong citizens to contact us, apart from making international direct dialing calls down the road. 
By doing so, we will be able to keep up with the pace and at the same time ensure we assist everyone who needs our help.

Voiceover:
At this critical time, Ms Kwong is especially grateful for each colleague that works in the unit. She stressed that without a concerted effort, it would be impossible to solve all the problems they face effectively.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several countries implemented flight restrictions or immigration control measures that made it impossible for many Hong Kong residents to get home. Some were stranded in places rarely heard of.

That is why the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents 24-hour Hotline (852) 1868 - operated by the Immigration Department - has been used by thousands of people as their way out since January.

Race against time

Senior Immigration Officer Leung Hing-wah and his colleagues have been working tirelessly since the pandemic began. They have one particular goal in mind: bringing Hong Kong residents home safely.

The unit has received more than 15,700 requests for assistance via phone calls and emails as at June 24. During its peak time, more than 400 cases were recorded in an hour.

“Whenever we receive a request for help, we have to contact the Chinese Embassy or related institutions in that country to comprehend the latest epidemic situation. At the same time, we reach out to different bureaus to see if we can arrange flights to bring back stranded residents,” Mr Leung explained.

“If we are not able to evacuate them in a short period of time, we have to see what we can do to help them there.”

Leung Hing-wah joined the department’s Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit in 2016. Since then, he has participated in different large-scale rescues in Japan that include the earthquakes in Kumamoto and Hokkaido as well as the aftermath brought by Typhoon Jebi.

With previous rescue experience under his belt, Mr Leung played an integral role in the operation to bring home Hong Kong residents stranded on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan.

“It was a different challenge handling stranded Hong Kong people when I was in Japan. I helped to solve lots of problems - from getting them suitable food to communication issues. More importantly, I was able to provide emotional support after I gained more perspective by walking in their shoes.”

He added that this was the most memorable operation for him so far.

Three chartered flights were arranged and eventually brought around 200 people home. Some rescued passengers were so grateful that they presented a plaque dedicated to the unit and praised the Government’s efforts in helping them.

Dedicated heart

Apart from Japan, the department also co-ordinated flights for Hong Kong residents stranded in places like Wuhan, Peru, Morocco, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.

In order to run these operations smoothly, personnel at the Immigration Headquarters are equally important.

They have to take care of every detail, like providing information on how and when to get to the airport and arranging transport for Hong Kong people.

Given the COVID-19 workload has been so massive, the department had to set up a special command centre on another floor of the headquarters to add more staff.

Chief Immigration Officer Kwong Wai-yin said at least 500 people were deployed to the unit - in addition to the 26 authorised personnel - to help answer phone calls, reply to emails or work abroad.

A similar arrangement was in place for the Great East Japan Earthquake that stuck Japan in March, 2011, she recalled, but the number of people involved is much higher this time because of the unprecedented pandemic situation.

“As the supervisor of this unit, I am especially grateful for each colleague who works here. Without a concerted effort, it would be impossible to solve all the problems we face effectively.”

Keeping pace

During the epidemic, Ms Kwong noticed that the channels through which to seek help have advanced a lot from a decade ago.

“Smart phones were not popular back then, but they are everywhere nowadays. We are now studying the possibility of using various phone applications, special emails or communication software for Hong Kong citizens to contact us, apart from making international direct dialling calls down the road.”

She hopes that by utilising the latest technology, the unit will be able to keep up with the pace and at the same time ensure the department assists everyone who needs help.