XN000022-1995-04-19 — Page 65

-

50 -

Foreign domestic workers undertaking non-domestic work

Following is a question by the Hon Mrs Selina Chow and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Peter Lai, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

In regard to the problem of foreign domestic workers undertaking non-domestic work in the territory, will the Government inform this Council :

Reply:

(a)

(b)

(c).

Mr President,

(a)

(b)

of the number of cases in the past year regarding foreign domestic workers found to be engaged in non-domestic work;

whether the Government has done any estimate of the total number of foreign domestic workers engaged in non-domestic work; if so, what is the percentage of such workers out of the total number of foreign domestic workers in the territory; and

whether the Government will review the existing monitoring measures so as to make them more effective in preventing and combating the problem of foreign domestic workers engaged in work not stipulated in their employment contracts?

In 1994, 345 foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) were arrested in connection with unauthorised work, and 162 of them were subsequently prosecuted.

There is no reliable means of estimating the number of foreign domestic helpers engaged in non-domestic work. In addition to the arrest figures mentioned in (a) above, we estimate that there were approximately 4 000 FDH overstayers in 1994. It is possible that most of these overstayers were engaged in unapproved employment, including non-domestic work. These two figures represent 3% of the 1994 year-end population of 141 368 FDHs in Hong Kong.