NGO says migrants rest in tents because they have nowhere to go

 

Migrants' tents are sprouting all over HK (SCMP photo)

The longest-serving support organization for migrant workers in Hong Kong has reiterated its long-standing call for better accommodation and concern for the welfare of all foreign domestic helpers in the city.

The call by the Mission for Migrant Workers was made after an article published in the English daily, South China Morning Post, reported on many migrant workers seeking shelter inside tents set up at bus terminals on their holiday.

When interviewed the migrants said they have nowhere else to go to rest as they are often driven away from parks and other public areas where they used to hang out.

The Mission said this phenomenon is “definitely disappointing” but not surprising, given that 2 out of 5 migrant workers it surveyed last year do not have their own room in employer’s house.

This can also be explained by the survey results showing that 1 in 20 suffer abuse and 1 in 25 suffer from stress-related illnesses.

Given these, many workers are forced to stay outdoors to sleep, rest and de-stress whenever they’re off work, said the group.

The MFMW attributes the disturbing results to the government’s ban on live-out arrangements for migrant workers which it has long tried to repeal.

“We believe that having private accommodation is the right of all humans, including workers and migrant domestic workers. However, it is unfortunate that this right is not recognised and is being criminalised in Hong Kong,” said the MFMW.

It is particularly disappointing in the wake of the deadly Tai Po fire, when migrant workers were hailed for bravely standing by their wards in the face of tremendous risks to their own lives.

“We can sustain the appreciation we showed for migrant workers in the aftermath of the fire by addressing their needs and promoting their rights,” said the Mission.

This means, translating that concern and empathy shown by the community into concrete improvements in the working condition of all migrant domestic workers, said the MFMW.

“We call for concrete changes that respect migrant workers’ dignity, safety, and freedom to live with privacy and autonomy. Hong Kong can only be truly inclusive when every worker is valued and supported,” it added.

 

 

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