Hong Kong’s Immigration Department declined to comment on the “individual case” when reached by AFP, adding that it “acts in accordance with the laws and policies in handling each immigration case”.
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club Hong Kong said Friday it was “deeply concerned” over the incident and it understood that authorities did not give any reason for the denial.
The decision and the lack of explanation reinforce widespread concerns about the erosion of press freedom in Hong Kong, it said.
Last year, another Bloomberg reporter Haze Fan, who is a Chinese national, was refused a visa to work in Hong Kong, media reports said.
Authorities also denied Associated Press photojournalist Louise Delmotte’s visa extension application without any stated reason in 2024.
“We call on the Hong Kong authorities to explain any denial of work visas and entry into Hong Kong amid a growing number of such incidents, and establish a transparent mechanism in its decision-making processes,” the Committee to Protect Journalists said in a statement to AFP on Saturday.
