dynamics

Entry and Departure Numbers Reach 163 Million Up 153 Percent

On April 15, the State Administration of Immigration held a press conference to unveil key statistics related to immigration management for the first quarter of 2025.

During this period, immigration authorities inspected a total of 163 million individuals across the nation, marking a significant increase of 15.3% compared to the same timeframe last year. This figure includes 80.272 million residents from the Mainland, 657.24 million residents from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, and 174.37 million foreign visitors, reflecting growth rates of 15.4%, 11.2%, and 33.4% respectively. Furthermore, the authorities inspected 8.495 million modes of transportation, such as trains, ships, and vehicles, which is an uptick of 15.5% year-on-year.

In the first quarter, immigration authorities redoubled their efforts to combat crimes that obstruct national border management. This included a rigorous crackdown during the winter season, with substantial operations against illegal activities concerning foreign nationals. The crackdown yielded significant results, with 2,851 criminal cases investigated, leading to the arrest of 8,402 suspects, dismantling of 127 criminal gangs, and the destruction of 16 smuggling transit points.

Additionally, the authorities seized 388 vehicles and vessels that were related to border management crimes, while they intensified their efforts against drug trafficking and gun-related crimes in border regions. Among the notable statistics were 128 drug cases resulting in the capture of 156 individuals, including numerous large-scale seizures of illegal substances totaling 888.4 kilograms, alongside the confiscation of 201 firearms and 5,463 rounds of ammunition valued at approximately 708.65 million yuan.

The first quarter also saw immigration officials fostering a greater openness in immigration processes, aiming to enhance both accessibility and efficiency in their operations. New policies were put in place, such as introducing visa-free travel for ASEAN tour groups visiting Yunnan's Xishuangbanna, and a 'one trip per week' policy that allows registered residents of Zhuhai to travel to Macau.

Moreover, the implementation of a 'one visa, multiple travel' policy was introduced for residents holding domicile registration and residence permits within the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao Deep Cooperation Zone. Provisions were also made to facilitate urgent travel for Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan residents needing to transit between mainland cities, as part of a broader effort to improve service access.

To further enhance service delivery, the immigration authorities expanded their 'nationwide processing' and 'full online processing' initiatives for entry and exit documentation. In total, 5.153 million ordinary passports and 248.54 million travel vouchers for mainland residents traveling to and from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan were issued in the first quarter.

Additionally, 569,000 travel permits for Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan residents and 361,000 visa documents for foreign nationals were also processed. The Immigration Administration's service platform managed to facilitate 45.81 million inquiries for government services for both domestic and foreign personnel, alongside offering 16.8 million complimentary identity verification services for individuals from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese.

The National Immigration Administration's service hotline received about 1.68 million inquiries and suggestions from users, achieving an impressive customer satisfaction rate of 99.5%, demonstrating the effectiveness of their initiatives in improving public service and enhancing user experience.