Two Taiwanese were denied entry to Hong Kong on Saturday for placing stickers on the cover of their passports, the Hong Kong Immigration Department said.
When processing their entry documents, immigration officials noticed that the travelers’ Republic of China passports had stickers on them, a department spokesperson said.
The officials suspected that the Taiwanese did not have legal authorization to alter their travel documents and deported them after questioning, the spokesperson said.
The department said that unauthorized alteration of travel documents can result in criminal charges in Hong Kong.
The department did not specify what stickers were on the passports, Hong Kong’s Ming Pao reported that the stickers were “Republic of Taiwan” stickers written in both Chinese and English.
Such stickers have previously been used by supporters of Taiwan independence to cover the words “Republic of China” and the national emblem on the cover of their passports.
It was the first time that Taiwanese were denied entry in Hong Kong for using such stickers, but similar incidents have occurred in Singapore and Macau.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued repeated warnings that the revised Passport Statute Enforcement Regulations (護照條例), which took effect on Jan. 1, say that passports with stickers might be revoked and holders could be denied entry in other countries.
The Taiwan Passport Sticker movement said on its Facebook page that most people using passports with “Republic of Taiwan” stickers have had no problem passing through immigration checkpoints in most countries.
“However, due to pressure from China, passport holders should avoid leaving the stickers on their passport covers when traveling to China, Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore,” the statement said.
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