Mission welcomes US human trafficking report calling for better protection of FDWs

By The SUN 

The Mission says it has been advocating the same reforms the TIP 2021 report calls for (File)

A migrant support organization has expressed support for the United States Trafficking in Persons Report 2021 that called for increased protection for foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong.

In a statement released today, Jul 9, the Mission for Migrant Workers said it appreciated  the “serious treatment” given to FDW concerns by the US State Department report published a week ago.

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The TIP report this year maintained the Tier 2 Watchlist category of Hong Kong, which indicated that the city has not done enough to combat human trafficking.

The report cited in particular the various conditions that make migrant workers vulnerable to trafficking, including the excessive placement fees charged them, and Hong Kong’s two-week rule and live-in policy.

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In its statement, the Mission said the TIP report’s call for Hong Kong to do away with anti-migrant policies has been part of its own advocacy for years.

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The church-based charity pointed out that a survey published in its Service Report last year showed a “further deterioration of the working and living conditions of migrant workers.” Among its findings was that 1 out of 5 FDWs experienced physical abuse, while 1 out of 2 was made to work on their rest days amid the pandemic.

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A whopping 97% of those who sought help from the Mission were charged illegal fees by their recruiters.

“We call on the Hong Kong government to address these serious issues,” said the Mission statement. “While we do not deny the hard work the Hong Kong government is doing to address illegal trafficking, the Mission feels so much more can be done to address these, such as facing the fact that it is indeed a problem. From there, more victim-centered processes and solutions can be carried out.”

The TIP Report called on Hong Kong to “proactively investigate unscrupulous employment agencies and money lenders for their complicity in labor trafficking and sufficiently penalize convicted agency operators.”

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It again urged Hong Kong to pass a bespoke law, or one that specifically targets human trafficking, to improve its assessment and handling of trafficking cases.

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