Middle East war drives 35% rise in Hongkongers’ overseas help requests
Hongkongers’ requests for help from overseas jumped 35 per cent in the first eight months of 2026 compared with the same period last year, the city’s immigration chief has revealed, attributing the rise to the war in the Middle East. Director of Immigration Benson Kwok Joon-fung told reporters on Saturday that his department had received around 3,160 requests for assistance from Hong Kong…
Hong Kong residents seeking assistance from overseas surged by 35 percent in the first eight months of 2026 compared to the same period last year, according to the immigration chief. Director of Immigration Benson Kwok Joon-fung attributed the increase to the Middle Eastern conflict. The department received around 3,160 requests for aid from Hong Kong nationals abroad during this period.
Half of the cases involved lost identity documents. The war in the Middle East began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched an attack on Iran. This triggered global air traffic disruptions, strait shipping blockages, and a global fuel crisis. Tensions persisted, leading Cathay Pacific Airways to cancel flights to Dubai and Riyadh until November 30.
Kwok advised residents to safeguard their passports and identity documents while traveling, as replacing them could be time-consuming. The city is set to open Huanggang Port, its second 24-hour crossing point, with a new "joint inspection" clearance model allowing passengers to use one identity document. Authorities aim to clear over 100,000 passengers daily once operational.
Additionally, the immigration department has been testing a "seamless" e-channel clearance lane at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge crossing, which has seen 80,000 uses as of now.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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