Children crossing borders are not asked for parents’ authorization

Underage citizens are not always being asked for their parents’ authorization when crossing Macau’s borders, newspaper Hoje Macau reported.
17-year-old Catarina Silva told the publication that she frequently crosses the border to visit either Hong Kong or Zhuhai and has never been asked for her parents’ authorization document. Other underage friends, she said, have not been asked for their guardians’ authorization to leave the territory, even when traveling with relatives or a domestic helper.
Macau’s Immigration Services have not provided comprehensive information on the subject, but a source at Hoje Macau was able to talk to the department directly. They were informed that it had previously been necessary to fill out a certain form allowing children to cross the border, but not anymore. The Immigration Services told the source that there isn’t any law regulating this matter.
Lawyer Miguel de Senna Fernandes declared that “this is completely absurd.” In his opinion, there isn’t a need for a specific law or regulation to state that children cannot travel without parental authorization.
He recalled that individuals only acquire legal personhood upon turning 18 years of age, according to Macau’s Civil Code. Until then, the person is under the supervision of tutors, usually the parents. Therefore, he believes that underage children need their parents’ authorization to cross Macau’s borders and to travel to other regions and countries.
Dozens of children run away or disappear each year in Macau, according to the publication. The Judiciary Police and the Public Security Police have been recording cases of people who have disappeared since 2003. In that year, 666 cases of disappearance had been recorded. In the first six months of this year, authorities recorded a total of 30 disappearances involving children or teenagers.