The Director of Immigration, Au Ka-wang, said on Saturday that he hoped the department's special arrangements would help people collect their travel documents in time for the peak summer travel season.

The Immigration Department is arranging special services at eight centres today and next Saturday between 2 pm and 9 pm, so people can collect their passports without booking a slot.

Speaking to reporters after visiting Immigration Tower in Wan Chai, Au said there had been a soaring demand for passports since the reopening of the border.

“Before the pandemic, the annual issuance of passports was around 700,000 to 720,000, but in the first six months of 2023, it has already reached 900,000. Currently, the number of applications is around 5,000 to 6,000 per day.

“We hope that on the two Saturdays, members of the public can come as much as possible as there is no limit to the number of quotas. We hope to assist them in obtaining their travel documents before their trips," he said.