Han Ximin

ximhan@126.com

THE Immigration Bureau of the  Shenzhen Municipal Public Security Bureau is offering a reward of up to 500 yuan (US$74) for whistle-blowers who report foreigners who are violating immigration rules in China.

The violations include staying, entering and working in China illegally. The move is to maintain the city’s immigration management order, according to a statement issued by the immigration bureau last week. Rewards of 500 yuan are given for each person detained for administrative purposes and 300 yuan for each person given an administrative fine.

The “three illegals” are foreigners who have no legal status in China. Illegal employment for survival will inevitably affect the labor market and the employment environment. At the same time, this may lead to increased crime and seriously disturb the stability of the social order, the bureau said.

Illegal staying refers to a foreigner who has not applied for a visa or residence permit during the valid stay period stipulated by the visa or residence permit, but is staying in China. A foreigner who does not have a valid entry visa or a valid entry certificate issued by Chinese authorities, or who has not entered the country through China’s territory at a designated port, or who has entered China without being checked by a frontier inspection post, shall be deemed to have committed the offense.

The immigration authority will impose a 10,000-yuan fine on the employer for illegally hiring a foreign employee. Additionally, the employer will be fined between 5,000 and 20,000 yuan, and detained for between five and 15 days for taking in an illegal immigrant.

An agency that introduces illegal foreign employees will be fined 5,000 yuan for each introduced person. If the agency is suspected of organizing illegal immigration, a jail term of between two and seven years will be imposed on the person in charge. In a serious situation, the term could be more than seven years and even life imprisonment.

Foreigners who enter illegally will be detained for five to 10 days and fined between 2,000 and 10,000 yuan.

Illegally employed foreigners can be detained for five to 15 days and fined 5,000 to 20,000 yuan. For overstaying a visa, violators are liable for a fine of up to 10,000 yuan or detention for between five and 15 days.

The public can report “three illegals” to the public security bureau by calling 22222110, via the Internet at www.szga.gov.cn, or by sending a message to the “Shenzhen Public Security” WeChat account or their email at szgayjjb@szga.gov.cn.