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HKSAR Government strives to protect rights of foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong
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     In response to press reports today (January 13) that a foreign domestic helper (FDH) was instructed to work outside Hong Kong by her employer, a Government spokesman said that the HKSAR Government is committed to protecting the rights of FHDs in Hong Kong.

     The spokesman said, "The Employment Contract for a Domestic Helper Recruited from Outside Hong Kong (the Contract) provides that an FDH shall work and reside in the employer's residence in Hong Kong as stated in the Contract.  The Contract also provides that an FDH shall only perform domestic duties in the employer's residence as set out in the Contract.  Moreover, the employer and the FDH are required to undertake in the relevant visa application forms that the FDH will reside in the employer's residence as stated in the Contract and will not perform duties other than those set out therein.

     "If FDHs and/or employers breach their undertaking in the Contract and the relevant application forms (e.g. undertaking work in places other than that set out in the Contract), the Immigration Department (ImmD) will take their conduct into consideration in assessing FDH's future employment visa or extension of stay applications or the employer's future applications for employing FDHs, and may refuse such applications.

     "Further, under the prevailing laws, a person who makes false statement to the ImmD commits an offence and is liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, to a maximum fine of $150,000 and imprisonment for 14 years.  If it is found that other offences are suspected to have been committed, relevant law enforcement departments will follow up with the matter in a serious manner.

     "As a complaint has been lodged by the person concerned, relevant departments have commenced investigations.  As regards the FDH's allegations on how her case was handled by the staff of the boundary control point, the ImmD is conducting an internal investigation and it would be inappropriate to comment further on the case at this stage."

Ends/Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Issued at HKT 20:21

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