Freeze of maid levy spells profits for illegal queue touts
The government's suspension of the levy on foreign domestic helpers is providing lucrative business to a 'queuing syndicate' that charges up to HK$120 for applicants rushing to apply for permits or travel documents outside the Immigration Department's Yau Ma Tei branch.
The existence of the group came to light after an Indian domestic helper complained to the South China Morning Post that it had taken her three days to get a tag and file her application for a contract renewal last week.
The woman, who gave her name as Chhoby, said she had worked for the same employer for 12 years and had not had any problems in the past when renewing her contract.
'Before, it was not like this. I had this problem because of the levy [suspension],' she said.
The government suspended the HK$9,600 levy on employers of foreign domestic helpers from August 1, setting off a rush of applications so employers could benefit from up to four years of relief.
Ms Chhoby arrived at the Immigration office at 7.45am on August 19 but saw about 200 people already in the queue and went home. The next day she went at 5am and found the same situation. On her third try, she arrived at 1.30am. She found 15 stools and cardboard boxes lined up, and took her place after the last box.
A Post reporter posing as someone eager to buy a position was told by a Mr Chan that he had been hired by a friend to secure good positions in the line, which they could sell for between HK$80 and HK$100, and sometimes HK$120. Mr Chan said people buying the positions were largely mainlanders, including those who had come to Hong Kong to give birth. Mr Chan said: 'They [the syndicate] place cardboard here every night. They usually return at about four in the morning.' The syndicate usually took up at least 20 positions a day, he said.
On the same night, a man and a woman with a toddler approached Mr Chan and said they were Filipino-Chinese urgently needing to renew their visas. The woman was later seen slipping Mr Chan what appeared to be a HK$100 banknote.
The previous day, a Filipino domestic helper who wanted to renew her contact said she paid the syndicate HK$60 to secure the seventh place in line for her. 'I came at four o'clock in the morning and a man touted me [a place in line],' she said.
The Immigration Department had noticed increasing numbers of foreign domestic helpers in the queue outside the West Kowloon office before it opened, an official said. Applicants at that branch could make appointments through the internet or telephone, yet some people preferred to queue, he said.
He warned that touting was an offence, and those found guilty could be fined.
About 5,000 visas were issued for advanced contract renewal applications and 7,400 for contract renewal applications from August 1 to 27, he said.
