GRS 750
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1494 1495.
OF 150845Z APRIL 87
INFO PRIORITY MANILA
CONFIDENTIAL
10/1
이
210
TOP COPY
Q DIST ?
22
MANILA TELNO 175 FOREIGN DOMESTIC HELPERS IN HONG KONG
WE
WE ARE MOST GRATEFUL TO MANILA FOR TAKING THIS ACTION. BRIEFED THE PHILIPPINES CONSUL-GENERAL ON 14 APRIL (HE HAD NOT
ACKNOWLEDGING BEEN BRIEFED IN MANILA) AND HE WELCOMED THE PROPOSALS, THAT JOB-HOPPING AND PART-TIMING WERE PROBLEMS THAT NEEDED ATTENTION.
2. COMMENTS ON QUERIES IN PARA 3 OF TUR ARE AS FOLLOWS #
(A) EXTENSION OF STAY A FILIPINA WHO LEFT HER EMPLOYER BECAUSE OF ABUSE MAY HAVE HER PERIOD OF STAY EXTENDED BEYOND THE TWO WEEK PERIOD IF THE DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION CONSIDERS THE CIRCUMSTANCES SO WARRANTED. (REYES ALSO ASKED US ABOUT THIS, AND SEEMED
REASSURED).
(B) RESTRICTION ON PART-TIME WORK : UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD A FILIPINA BE PERMITTED TO WORK PART-TIME AS THIS WOULD CLEARLY BREACH HER CONDITION OF STAY. ALL PART-TIME PAID FOREIGN DOMESTIC SERVICES ARE ILLEGAL. THERE IS A SURPLUS OF LOCAL PEOPLE WILLING TO WORK AS PART-TIME DOMESTIC HELPERS. IF THE FILIPINA MANAGES TO FIND A NEW EMPLOYER THE DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION MAY, SUCH EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES, PERMIT HER TO CHANGE EMPLOYMENT.
(C) TREATMENT OF FDHS AND FILIPINA TOURISTS ON ENTRY: FDHS ENTERING HK MAY BE ASKED TO PRODUCE THEIR WORKING PAPERS FOR EXAMINATION BUT THEY ARE CERTAINLY NOT GIVEN A ROUGH TIME''.
IN
IF SOME FEMALE TOURISTS FROM THE PHILIPPINES WERE ASKED MORE THAN THE CURSORY QUESTIONS, THIS WOULD ONLY BE TO ESTABLISH WHETHER THEY WERE BONA FIDE TOURISTS. SOME FEMALE TOURISTS' FROM SOME SOUTH EAST ASIAN COUNTRIES ARE KNOWN TO COME HERE TO WORK AS PROSTITUTES OR PICKPOCKETS. OTHERS WORK IN MORE 'RESPECTABLE'' JOBS WITHOUT WORKING PERMITS. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN COMPOUNDED BY VISITORS WHO HAVE BEEN REMOVED OR DEPORTED RETURNING UNDER A DIFFERENT IDENTITY. AMONGST 47,000 FILIPINO FEMALE VISITORS WHO ARRIVED IN 1986, 190 WERE REFUSED ENTRY, 432 WERE SUBSEQUENTLY ARRESTED FOR VARIOUS OFFENCES. 69 WERE ACTUALLY REMOVED OR DEPORTED. IMMIGRATION OFFICERS ARE, OF COURSE, EXPECTED TO BE COURTEOUS AND TACTFUL IN HANDLING SUSPECT CASES:
(D) SEPARATE QUEUE FOR FDHS : THIS WOULD BE PHYSICALLY DIFFICULT TO IMPLEMENT. SPACE IS LIMITED AND THE NUMBERS DO NOT
JUSTIFY A DEDICATED CHANNEL.
CONDIDENTIAL
سام