THE number of overseas domestic helpers working in Hong Kong rose by 4,000 during the first three months of this year.
The increase brings the total number of overseas maids here to a staggering 125,000, with the Immigration Department estimating that a further three or four thousand are staying illegally.
The head of the investigation section dealing with domestic helpers, Chief Investigator Huen Shu-sum, said he was extremely concerned by the number of maids overstaying their visas.
''Because of the growth in the population there are more and more cases of domestic helpers breaching their conditions of stay, by, for example, working for non-contracted employers, or simply by overstaying their visas,'' he said.
Sixteen investigation officers, divided into four teams, conduct spot checks on factories, cleaning companies and restaurants to search for domestic helpers working illegally.
They act on tip-offs and referrals from other sections of the Immigration Department, but Mr Huen admits the team lacks the resources to tackle the problem effectively.
''Of course we need more resources. Last year we asked for 100 extra men to tackle the overall problem of illegal workers in Hong Kong. The Government has given us less than half.'' The 46-member taskforce approved by the Legislative Council last year should become effective within the next few months, but it has yet to be decided exactly how it will be deployed.