If Judged 'Undesirable,' Even Aircraft Boarding Denied... Hong Kong Moves to Implement Boarding Refusal System

Pre-Board Passenger Information System to Be Fully Implemented in September Next Year

Hong Kong authorities are set to implement a system that prevents "undesirable passengers" from boarding flights to Hong Kong. Foreign journalists and human rights activists have criticized this policy, saying that Hong Kong authorities are trying to easily block the entry of individuals they find inconvenient.

On the 6th, Yonhap News, citing the US Radio Free Asia (RFA) and the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP), reported that on the 3rd, Hong Kong Immigration Department's "Advance Passenger Information System" will be fully implemented on September 1, 2025, in cooperation with about 100 airlines.

Hong Kong authorities are set to implement a system that prevents "undesirable passengers" from boarding flights to Hong Kong. The photo is not directly related. [Image source=Getty Images]

According to the report, airlines must provide passenger information to Hong Kong Immigration during the check-in process for flights bound for Hong Kong. After receiving this information, the Immigration Department immediately instructs airlines to refuse boarding to passengers deemed "undesirable." About 100 airlines have cooperated with the "Advance Passenger Information System."

RFA reported that this system is criticized as a measure to block the entry of foreign journalists, members of international organizations, human rights activists, and others whom Hong Kong authorities consider "undesirable."

Currently, Hong Kong allows visa-free travel for 7 to 180 days to passport holders from about 170 countries.

A Hong Kong police officer is conducting a street stop-and-search on a woman in the busy area of Causeway Bay on June 4, 2024, the 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen democracy protests.
[Photo by AFP]

Last month, Hong Kong authorities refused to issue a visa to a Chinese journalist affiliated with Bloomberg News who had been detained in China for a year on national security threat charges and was recently released.

Anna, an overseas exiled human rights activist wanted by Hong Kong authorities, told RFA that this measure will have the greatest impact on foreign journalists and international organizations whom Hong Kong authorities often regard as "hostile foreign forces."

Maya Wang, Deputy Director of the international human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW), said, "‘Undesirable passengers’ may also include family and friends of think tank staff, supporters of democratic activities, and those known as dissidents."

Elmer Yuanci, an overseas exiled businessman, pointed out, "Anyone who wants to speak about Hong Kong’s declining rights and freedoms could become a target of this system," adding, "Hong Kong authorities are likely to enforce this even more strictly than mainland China."