Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China

Chapter VI Investigation and Repatriation

Article 58 Measures for on-the-spot interrogation, continued interrogation, detention for investigation, movement restriction and repatriation prescribed in this Chapter shall be enforced by public security organs under local people’s governments at or above the county level or by exit/entry border inspection authorities.

Article 59 Persons suspected of violating the regulations on exit/entry administration may be interrogated on the spot; upon on-the-spot interrogation, the aforesaid persons may be interrogated in continuation in accordance with the law under any of the following circumstances:

(1) Are suspected of illegally exiting or entering China;

(2) Are suspected of assisting others in illegally exiting or entering China;

(3) Are foreigners suspected of illegally residing or working in China; or

(4) Are suspected of endangering national security or interests, disrupting social or public order, or engaging in other illegal or criminal activities.

On-the-spot interrogation and continued interrogation shall be conducted in accordance with the procedures prescribed in the People’s Police Law of the People’s Republic of China.

Where public security organs under local people’s governments at or above the county level or exit/entry border inspection authorities need to summon the persons suspected of violating the regulations on exit/entry administration, they shall handle the matter in accordance with the relevant regulations of the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Penalties for Administration of Public Security.

Article 60 Where foreigners involved in any of the circumstances specified in the first paragraph of Article 59 of this Law cannot be cleared of suspicion after on-the-spot interrogation or continued interrogation and therefore need to be further investigated, he may be detained for investigation.

When detaining a foreigner for investigation, the authority concerned shall present a written decision on detention for investigation and shall interrogate the detained foreigner within 24 hours. Where the aforesaid organ finds that a foreigner should not be detained for investigation, it shall immediately release him from detention for investigation.

The period of detention for investigation shall not exceed 30 days; for complicated cases, the period may be extended to 60 days upon approval by the public security organs under the local people’s governments at the next higher level or by the exit/entry border inspection authorities at the next higher level. For foreigners whose nationalities and identities are unknown, the period of detention for investigation shall be calculated from the date when their nationalities and identities are found out.

Article 61 Under any of the following circumstances, detention for investigation is not applicable to foreigners; however, their movements may be restricted:

(1) Suffer from serious diseases;

(2) Are pregnant or breast-feeding their own infants under one year of age;

(3) Are under 16 years of age or have reached the age of 70; or

(4) Other circumstances in which detention for investigation should not be applied.

Foreigners whose movements are restricted shall subject themselves to investigation as required, and shall not leave the restricted zones without approval of public security organs. The period of movement restriction shall not exceed 60 days. For foreigners whose nationalities and identities are unknown, the period of movement restriction shall be calculated from the date when their nationalities and identities are found out.

Article 62 Under any of the following circumstances, foreigners may be repatriated:

(1) Are ordered to exit China within a prescribed time limit but fail to do so;

(2) Are involved in circumstances in which they are not allowed to enter China;

(3) Illegally reside or work in China; or

(4) Need to be repatriated for violation of this Law or other laws or administrative regulations.

Other overseas personnel who fall under any of the circumstances prescribed in the preceding paragraph may be repatriated in accordance with the law.

Repatriated persons shall not be allowed to enter China for one to five years, calculating from the date of repatriation.

Article 63 Persons who are detained for investigation or who are to be repatriated upon decision but cannot be repatriated promptly shall be held in custody in detention houses or places of repatriation.

Article 64 Foreigners dissatisfied with the measure imposed on them in accordance with this Law, such as continued interrogation, detention for investigation, movement restriction or repatriation, may apply for administrative reconsideration in accordance with the law, and the administrative reconsideration decision shall be final.

Where other overseas personnel dissatisfied with the decision of repatriation imposed on them in accordance with this Law apply for administrative reconsideration, the provisions in the preceding paragraph are applicable.

Article 65 Where persons are not allowed to exit or enter China upon decisions made in accordance with the law, the decision-making authorities shall duly inform the exit/entry border inspection authorities of such decisions in accordance with relevant regulations; where the circumstances in which the persons are not allowed to exit or enter China disappear, the decision-making authorities shall duly cancel the aforesaid decisions and inform exit/entry border inspection authorities of the cancellation.

Article 66 On the basis of the need for safeguarding national security and maintaining the order of exit/entry administration, exit/entry border inspection authorities may, when necessary, search the persons entering and exiting the country. Personal Search shall be conducted by two border inspectors who are the same sex as the persons subject to the search.

Article 67 In such cases that the exit/entry documents such as visas or foreigners’ stay or residence permits are damaged, lost or stolen, or that after the issuance of such documents, the holders are found not eligible for being issued such documents, the issuing authorities shall declare the aforesaid documents void.

Exit/entry documents which are forged, altered, obtained by fraudulent means or are declared void by issuing authorities shall be invalid.

Public security organs may cancel or confiscate the exit/entry documents prescribed in the preceding paragraph or used fraudulently by persons other than the specified holders.

Article 68 Public security organs may seize the transport vehicles used to organize, transport or assist others in illegally exiting or entering China as well as the articles needed as evidence in handling the cases.

Public security organs shall seize banned articles, documents and data involving state secrets, as well as tools used in activities violating the regulations on exit/entry administration, and handle them in accordance with relevant laws or administrative regulations.

Article 69 The authenticity of exit/entry documents shall be determined by the issuing authorities, the exit/entry border inspection authorities or the exit/entry administrations of public security organs.