Immigration Department (Hong Kong) Immigration Department (Hong Kong) The Immigration Department (, known as 人民入境事務處 before the 1997 transfer of sovereignty) of the Government of Hong Kong is responsible for immigration control of Hong Kong. After the People's Republic of China assumed sovereignty of the territory in July 1997, Hong Kong's immigration system remained largely unchanged from its British predecessor model. Residents from mainland China do not have the right of abode in Hong Kong, nor can they enter the territory freely, both before and after 1997. There are different regulations that apply to residents of Macau, another Special Administrative Region of China. In
Hong Kong–North Korea relations and People's Republic of China. Hong Kong joined the embargo imposed on the communist bloc during the second half of the 20th century. Following the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong to China, North Korea was able to open a Consulate-General in February 2000 by virtue of its diplomatic relations with Beijing, having previously not been allowed to establish a trade mission during British rule. The Consulate General is located in Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island. Hong Kong had been involved in two cases of North Korean defectors. The first was in 1996, by then a family of 16