Heavy holiday congestion and reported frontline manpower shortages at the redeveloped Huanggang Port have prompted calls for an operational review, with the Immigration Department pledging to adjust staffing and clearance procedures.
Sources said frontline immigration officers sent a collective message to management shortly after the port opened, citing unmanned supervisor rooms, unanswered emergency calls, and missed rest breaks during heavy shifts.
Speaking on a radio program on Tuesday, lawmaker and former police officer Chan Cho-kwong said the distress messages originated from an employee WhatsApp group intended to alert management, adding that the objective had been achieved.
Analyzing the gridlock during the Chung Yeung Festival, Chan noted that while all clearance channels were open, manpower shortages affected shift rotations and field command.
He added that procedural bottlenecks contributed significantly to the delays, noting that even if 5 percent of travelers encountered issues such as traveling with young children, unregistered travel documents, or dead mobile phones, severe congestion could quickly result under peak flows exceeding 10,000 passengers per hour.
Chan urged the Immigration Department and the Security Bureau to optimize clearance procedures and flexibly deploy auxiliary resources, such as hiring retired officers to assist with code scanning during peak hours.
In response, an Immigration Department spokesman said the authority noted the circulating messages and had looked into the matter. Emphasizing that additional staff were recruited prior to the opening, the department thanked frontline officers for their dedication and professionalism.
The department added it would continue monitoring port operations with mainland counterparts and flexibly redeploy personnel based on actual operational needs to ensure smooth clearance for passengers and vehicles.
