Guo Junfeng takes helm of Immigration Department, Predicts Over Million People Movement During Golden Week

Guo Junfeng takes helm of Immigration Department, Predicts Over Million People Movement During Golden Week

Guo Junfeng Assumes Directorship of the Immigration Department

Guo Junfeng recently took charge as the Director of the Immigration Department on September 19, a position announced by the State Department. The newly appointed director expressed his honor to be chosen by the central government for this critical role. He also showed gratitude towards the preceding directors of the Immigration Department for their leadership. Poised to face future challenges, he pledged to steer a team of approximately 9,000 employees.

Anticipation of Golden Week Holiday Surge

Guo Junfeng predicts a significant surge in the number of people entering and exiting during the Golden Week holiday period. This period includes the Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day, and the daily traffic is expected to surpass one million people. To manage the situation, the Immigration Department plans to fully deploy resources and increase staffing. Guo Junfeng also suggests the public avoid peak times to ease the congestion.

Collaboration with Other Departments and Mainland

For the smooth handling of the expected rush during the Golden Week, Guo Junfeng announced the department’s plan to collaborate with other law enforcement departments, MTR, and the mainland. With the overlap of long holidays in mainland China and Hong Kong during Golden Week, the collaboration is expected to prepare for the peak period of immigration.

Addressing Previous Incidents

When queried about a past incident where he received a fruit basket from the senior management of a leading company, Guo Junfeng reiterated that he had previously addressed this issue and had no further comments. Assurances were given that the Immigration Department would handle social banquets judiciously, considering the nature and timing of the event.

Four Main Areas of Focus

Guo Junfeng outlined four main areas that his work would focus on. The first is to staunchly uphold the constitutional responsibility of national security. Secondly, he plans to continue flexibly allocating manpower to quickly process a large number of ID applications after clearance. New measures are slated for launch to enhance the processing capacity of issuing ID cards in the short term.

In addition, Guo Junfeng plans to move the Immigration Department’s headquarters from Wan Chai to a new location in Tseung Kwan O by mid-next year. This new headquarters will offer more services, including the use of innovative technology to raise service levels. Lastly, the Immigration Department will continue to strengthen youth development work.

Expectations of the Immigration Department’s Union

Following Guo Junfeng’s appointment, the Immigration Department’s union expressed hopes for more resources to be acquired and flexibly allocated. They noted that Guo Junfeng exhibits a high level of concern for the needs of frontline staff and manpower issues. The union anticipates improved communication between the management and the union, which would result in better and more efficient services to the public.