Hong Kong reconsiders visa-free access for Indians

HONG KONG: Visitors from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka could be forced to apply for visas as the Hong Kong government attempts to crack down on people entering to work illegally, a report said on Friday.
 
Assistant Director of Immigration Chan Kwok-ki said some South Asians were abusing claims for asylum so they could stay and work illegally, the Standard reported.
 
Chan confirmed that visa-free access would be cancelled if "the situation continues to get worse".
 
He said the similar removal of visa-free access for people from mostly African countries had reduced the number of illegal workers from those countries.
 
But reacting to the move legislator Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung said he had not seen any pattern of South Asian people claiming asylum so they could work in Hong Kong.
 
Cheung added: "It's quite unfair and biased to paint the picture that asylum seekers and illegal workers are the same people".