BEIJING, April 19 -- Immigration authorities across China handled nearly 65.07 million exits and entries in the first quarter of the year, a year-on-year increase of 116.2 percent, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) said Wednesday.

Of the total, 32.35 million were made by Chinese mainland residents, 29.49 million by Chinese residents in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and 3.23 million by foreign nationals.

As China started managing COVID-19 as a Class B infectious disease on Jan. 8, the NIA accordingly adjusted its policies and measures to meet the growing demand for entry and exit trips and ensure the smooth operation of the country's ports.

The NIA also stepped up the crackdown on criminal cases jeopardizing the country's national border and frontier management. In Q1, the administration handled 6,968 such cases, busting 510 criminal gangs and capturing over 10,000 suspects.