TNAG-1665-FCO40-2314-Hong-Kong-employment-issues-and-ordinances-foreign-domestic-1987 — Page 131

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GINAPL

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

Bryan E Collis, Esq

Llwyn

Llandre

Bow Street

Aberystwyth

Dyfed, Wales

Telephone 01- 270 2652

Your reference

Our reference

Date

13 May 1987

Dear

Mr. Collis,

Thank you for your letter of 26 April to the Secretary of State. I have been asked to reply.

The admission of immigrant workers into Hong Kong is of course primarily a matter for the Hong Kong Government to determine under Hong Kong's own immigration and labour legislation.

A review of the employment of foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong was conducted by the Hong Kong Government between March and December last year.

a result, on 16 April the Hong Kong Government announced revised conditions of employment for foreign domestic helpers, covering conditions of stay, wage levels and new arrangements for changes of employment and renewal of contract. In revising these conditions of employment, the Hong Kong Government are seeking to be fair both to employers and to foreign domestic helpers, as well as to the surplus of local people who are prepared to work as part-time domestic helpers.

It is not the case (as you will by now have seen) that "about 3,000 immigrant domestic workers will be deported from Hong Kong effective from 5 May 1987" At present, foreign domestic helpers are admitted into Hong Kong on six-monthly periods of stay. The revised conditions of stay state that if a foreign domestic helper's contract is terminated, he or she will be allowed to stay in Hong Kong only for the remainder of his or her current six months or for two weeks after the termination of his

The reason for or her contract, whichever is the shorter. introducing this provision is to ensure that domestic helpers do not stay on illegally in Hong Kong to work for other employers without a legal contract. The Hong Kong Director of Immigration has, however, made it clear that in special circumstances a foreign domestic helper will be allowed to stay in Hong Kong for longer than two weeks after the termination of his or her contract, or will be allowed to change his or her employer. Hong Kong Government consider these provisions to be sufficiently flexible to protect the interests of foreign domestic helpers.

The