Hong Kong's Court of Appeal yesterday overturned a landmark ruling that gave tens of thousands of domestic helpers the right to apply for permanent residency.
A panel of three judges unanimously rejected arguments by the lawyers of Filipino maid Evangeline Banao Vallejos - who has worked in Hong Kong since 1986 - that an immigration provision barring domestic workers who have lived in the city for seven years from seeking permanent residency was unconstitutional.
The court said the government must have the power to impose immigration controls to meet changing political, economic and social needs.
Mr Justice Andrew Cheung Kui-nung wrote in the judgment: 'It is a fundamental principle in international law that a sovereign state has the power to admit, exclude and expel aliens. The difference of treatment flows inevitably from the fact of the political boundaries which are drawn across the globe.'
The judgment dealt a blow to 290,000 domestic helpers in the city but eased government concerns of a possible influx of immigrants.
Mark Daly, the lawyer for Vallejos, said: 'It is highly likely we are going to take this to the Court of Final Appeal. There is no time for disappointment. We will fight until we see justice.'