The government said on Saturday that proposed changes to immigration laws would not affect people's right to enter or leave Hong Kong - after the Bar Association expressed concern that the the new rules would empower officials to bar anyone from leaving the city in future. Under the proposal announced last month, officials can make new regulations to require airlines to provide information about passengers and aircrew to the Director of Immigration - and bar a person from travelling on the aircraft. In a submission made on Thursday, the Bar Association said this would grant authorities "an apparently unfettered power" to stop anyone, including Hong Kong residents, from leaving the city. It also noted that the proposed legislation did not set out the grounds on which such "intrusive power" may be exercised, why such a power is necessary, nor did it provide any safeguards against abuse. Since the enactment of the National Security Law last year, a number of pro-democracy activists have fled the city, with Hong…