National immigration body sees surge in border crossings

The National Immigration Administration reported on Friday that authorities conducted inspections on a total of 287 million border crossings in the first six months of this year, marking a year-on-year increase of 70.9 percent.

Among these crossings, mainland residents accounted for 137 million, residents from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan for 121 million, and foreigners for 29.22 million. The authorities also inspected 15.42 million planes, ships, trains, and vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 56.9 percent.

A total of 12.34 million ordinary passports were issued, up 23.2 percent year-on-year. The issuance of entry-exit documents for travel to and from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan reached 46.15 million, a 7.8 percent year-on-year increase. About 1.43 million travel permits to the mainland were issued to residents of Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, a figure similar to that of last year.

Additionally, about 686,000 port visas were issued, marking a significant increase of 267.9 percent, while 388,000 residence permits for foreigners in China were processed, showing a 2.4 percent year-on-year increase.

Immigration authorities have also intensified efforts to combat crimes that impede national border management, investigating 18,000 such cases and apprehending over 34,000 suspects. They identified 40,000 foreigners who were working, entering, or residing illegally in China without following legal procedures, leading to the deportation of more than 10,000 individuals who met the legal conditions.

Furthermore, authorities investigated 298 drug cases and seized 4.8 tons of various drugs. They also confiscated 786 firearms, 26,000 rounds of ammunition, and smuggled goods worth 640 million yuan.

Lin Yongsheng, the spokesperson for the immigration administration, said that immigration agencies will promptly analyze new characteristics and trends of cross-border illegal activities and dynamically adjust targeted inspection measures to ensure border safety.