Hong Kong’s Immigration Department has investigated almost 7,000 cases of foreign domestic helpers suspected of ‘job hopping’ in the last two years.
According to Secretary for Security Lai Tung-kwok, the ImmD has vetted 6,668 employment visa applications from FDHs suspected of job-hopping since 2014. He said 519 of them have been refused and another 680 applications were withdrawn or could not be processed further such as those employers or applicants who were unable to furnish additional documents to support applications.
As of late May, Lai said there were over 340,000 foreign domestic workers employed in Hong Kong.
“Most of them change to a new employer or renew contract with the same employer only after the completion of a contract,” Hong Kong’s security chief said.
The ones that are under close scrutiny are those who engage in premature termination of contracts for change of employers that, since June 2013, the ImmD has set up special duties team to strengthen the assessment of new visa applications from FDH’s who have a record of premature termination of two or more in the past 12 months.
Migrants rights groups previously dismissed allegations about FDHs “job hopping” as “malicious accusations.”
They added that it was only when the working and living conditions of FDHs become “extremely unbearable” that they file complaints or terminate their contract.