HOUSE OF COMMONS
LONDON SW1A 0AA
40
DANK. 210/1
Hks for a dragt Sofs repho by 12/5 des LOGS
ps/marenta Fosseu Dikore
From Rt. Hon. Dame Judith Hart
Dear Geoffrey.
1 May 1987
APS
I am informed that a disturbing situation has just arisen in Hong Kong. My under- standing is that about 3,000 immigrant domestic workers will be deported from Hong Kong effective from 5th May 1987, as a result of the enactment of a law by the Hong Kong government on April 21st. This law, which applies retro- spectively for a period of two weeks, means that any domestic employee whose contract is broken or otherwise ineffective, will be deported to his or her country of origin and be obliged to reapply for a work permit.
The
The same ruling applies irrespective of who broke the contract and whether the worker has found new employment. reapplication process takes three to four months, during which time the workers' families who have remained at home will be subjected to severe financial hardship. For some families this could mean near starvation. Many workers will have insufficient resources to return to Hong Kong, many of them having incurred debts to pay for their fares in the first instance.
I do not know if the British Government is aware of the situation. It is suggested to me that those who have been unfairly dismissed sould have recourse to an appeal procedure rather than being immediately deported, and if they gain new employment they should not be deported.
I would welcome your comments.
Yours sincerely,
Junie
Rt. Hon. Sir Geoffrey Howe, MP.
515.