Louise Delmotte, a French photographer employed by the Associated Press, had already been denied a work permit renewal by local authorities. Last year she photographed the Catholic businessman and pro-democracy activist in handcuffs. The Immigration Department, which now requires flight operators to send information about arriving passengers, gave no official explanation.
Hong Kong (/Agencies) – French journalist Louise Delmotte of the Associated Press was also denied a tourist visa to enter Hong Kong because she took a photo of Jimmy Lai in handcuffs in August 2023. This image showed for the first time the detained status of the Catholic businessman and pro-democracy activist, who has been held since 2020 in a maximum security prison accused of violating laws imposed by Beijing, and whose trial is still ongoing.
Earlier this year, Delmotte was refused a renewal of her work visa by local authorities. On 14 September, the photojournalist attempted to return to Hong Kong as a tourist, but was returned to France without explanation a few hours after being denied entry. “Louise Delmotte is a talented journalist and we are proud of the important work she has done in Hong Kong for the Associated Press,” the news agency told the local newspaper. Hong Kong Free Press“AP continues to have a presence in Hong Kong and is working with Louise on the next objectives,” she added. Delmotte also covered the impact of extreme heat on less affluent citizens and lockdown policies during the pandemic.
French citizens, as well as travellers from several European and regional countries, are allowed to visit Hong Kong for up to 90 days without a visa. The French consulate is “in contact” with local authorities regarding the episode, HKFP added. However, the Immigration Department, which has been using a new system since early September to obtain advance information on passengers arriving in the city, said yesterday that it would not comment on individual cases, adding that it had acted in accordance with laws and policies in handling the various situations.
Chief Executive John Lee also avoided answering questions about the specific Delmotte case during his weekly press briefing, addressing the issue only after a reporter shouted the question again at the end of the briefing. Lee responded by saying that each episode will be assessed individually under the laws in place. “We are not doing this any differently than other jurisdictions,” he added.
This is not the first time that Hong Kong has denied entry to foreign journalists, academics or activists who have spoken out on issues that are not to Beijing’s liking, such as the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong or Tibetan independence.
However, entry restrictions could become even stricter because the Immigration Department has implemented a new system which requires all aircraft operators to transmit in advance data on flights and passengers bound for Hong Kong “to prevent unwanted persons, including potential applicants subject to rejection, from boarding flights bound for Hong Kong,” the authorities said.
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