Hong Kong: Port drills ensure smooth inspections

The Hong Kong Government has conducted inter-departmental drills at Huanggang Port, simulating passenger clearance and vehicle inspection procedures. Authorities from multiple departments, including the Police Force, Immigration Department, Customs & Excise Department, Department of Health, and Government Property Agency, participated in the exercises to prepare for the port's inauguration.

During passenger clearance tests at the departure hall, the Immigration Department assessed backup plans for automated channels failure which caused congestion. Frontline employees redirected passengers to manual counters and coordinated with Shenzhen General Station for temporary solutions. Officers also utilized handheld devices to expedite clearance for eligible Hong Kong citizens.

In another scenario, immigration officers assisted a traveler unable to proceed through the automated channel, directing them to the duty room for document verification. At the arrival hall, staff guided a visitor denied entry to the duty room for examination and coordinated Customs inspection before returning the individual to Shenzhen.

Vehicle inspection drills in the vehicle departure hall involved Customs & Excise Department, Police Force, Immigration Department, and other departments responding to various operational scenarios. One mock scenario involved a vehicle scanned without a valid Closed Road Permit at the "Customs front kiosk". Another occurred when a vehicle was halted due to passengers failing to disembark for Customs inspection, with Customs officers guiding the vehicle to an inspection area for follow-up.

Simultaneously, at the vehicle arrival hall, Immigration Department officers simulated a system failure in the "joint one-stop" vehicle lanes, smoothly transitioning to manual document checks. The Department of Health was also deployed to conduct manual temperature screenings using handheld infrared scanners.