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Saturday, Feb 22, 2025
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Surging visa denies for job-hop domestic helpers undermine rights: organization
Denying visa applications for job-hopping foreign domestic helpers may result in those being treated unfairly refusing to quit, an organization concerned with the rights of helpers said. This came after the Immigration Department has seen a surge in suspicion of job-hopping by foreign domestic helpers, with nine times as many cases of visa refusal last year for this reason.
Hong Kong Federation of Asian Domestic Workers Unions said the policy deprived helpers of the right to suspend their contracts. Those being treated unfairly and horribly may not dare to resign.
The federation surveyed 238 Filipino and Indonesian helpers from November last year to May this year, with their working experience in Hong Kong ranging from four months to 34 years. About 20 percent had terminated their contracts.
Forty-six percent of the respondents said they had suffered from harsh treatment, including working 17 to 19 hours, having no suitable place to sleep, no vacation, etc.
Seventy-two percent of the respondents said they did not terminate the contracts after being unjustly treated as they worried the Immigration Department would deny their visas on the grounds of job hopping.
The federation said that the ImmD rejected 2,833 cases last year due to suspicion of job hopping, which was nine times more than the previous year.
The federation also said that the allegations of job-hopping are very discriminatory and demeaning to helpers, hoping that the department can give the actual reasons why the helpers concerned do not meet the visa application requirements.
It called on the government to stop discrimination and provide complaint channels, urging the Equal Opportunities Commission to intervene and investigate.
The federation surveyed 238 Filipino and Indonesian helpers from November last year to May this year, with their working experience in Hong Kong ranging from four months to 34 years. About 20 percent had terminated their contracts.
Forty-six percent of the respondents said they had suffered from harsh treatment, including working 17 to 19 hours, having no suitable place to sleep, no vacation, etc.
Seventy-two percent of the respondents said they did not terminate the contracts after being unjustly treated as they worried the Immigration Department would deny their visas on the grounds of job hopping.
The federation said that the ImmD rejected 2,833 cases last year due to suspicion of job hopping, which was nine times more than the previous year.
The federation also said that the allegations of job-hopping are very discriminatory and demeaning to helpers, hoping that the department can give the actual reasons why the helpers concerned do not meet the visa application requirements.
It called on the government to stop discrimination and provide complaint channels, urging the Equal Opportunities Commission to intervene and investigate.
