Legislator and lawyers push for bill against human trafficking in Hong Kong
Modern Slavery Bill was drafted by Civic Party lawmaker Dennis Kwok, human rights lawyer Patricia Ho and barrister Azan Marwah
An anti-human-trafficking law for Hong Kong drafted by a legislator, a human rights lawyer and a barrister is expected to be discussed at the city’s panel on security next month. The long-awaited legislation has been repeatedly called for by advocates in a city that has been rattled by cases of human trafficking, mostly involving domestic workers.
“We all need to play a part to tackle human trafficking. It is not just about Hong Kong. It’s about the 28 million victims who are subjected to human trafficking crimes, so I think that Hong Kong should work together with the international community to combat this crime,” said Civic Party lawmaker Dennis Kwok, one of the three who drafted the Modern Slavery Bill.
Forced labour is not a crime in Hong Kong, a city that relies heavily on migrant workers, and local laws provide a narrow definition of human trafficking, including only trafficking for the purpose of prostitution.
According to experts and advocates, Hong Kong authorities have failed scores of human trafficking victims in the city.