Domestic helper taken across border to mainland China and ‘leased out’ illegally for 10 days
Filipino under the impression she was travelling with employer was told she would be sent back to the Philippines if she did not comply, while customs officials at Hong Kong checkpoint ignored her handwritten pleas for help
A Filipino domestic helper was made to do 10 days illegal work in mainland China, while under the impression she was on a trip with her employer.
Rosgen, 23, who arrived in Hong Kong in early December, said she was taken by her employer to their friend’s home – almost a three-hour drive north to a place in Guangdong. Unaware even of the name of the town she was in, the helper was then asked to work there.
“My employer told me we were travelling to the mainland, but when we got to her friend’s place, she said I must work there,” Rosgen said. “I complained, but she said if I didn’t obey her, I would be sent back to the Philippines.”
A spokesman for the Immigration Department said the border official initially misunderstood Rosgen’s situation as the note had not fully illustrated her problem and she had not appeared to have had any dispute with her employer. A criminal investigation is now under way, he said.
The department assisted Rosgen to report to police later in the day after having clearly understood the case and carried out an internal check as to the way Rosgen’s query was previously handled.
Rosgen, who used a 30-day travel visa to go to mainland China, returned to Hong Kong with her employer on Sunday morning, after working over the border for 10 days.
At the Hong Kong border checkpoint, Rosgen handed a note to a customs officer which read: “I have a problem, please help me call my agency in Hong Kong.” But the border official took no action and simply returned her passport.
“Acts like this could put domestic helpers in a very dangerous situation, let alone the fact they might breach their immigration and employment conditions,”said Leung Kwok-hung, a lawmaker.
It is not known whether any money was exchanged between the helper’s employer and her friend on the mainland during the alleged “leasing” process.
Hiring foreign maids for personal services is prohibited in mainland China and foreign workers convicted of violating the employment ordinance may face up to 15 days in jail and a five-year entry ban, while employers are liable to a fine of up to 100,000 yuan (HK$118,290).
“Under this circumstance, a domestic helper may report to mainland authorities, but the dilemma is that if she has started working, she will also be subject to penalty,” said Ramon Buldron, managing director with Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants. “We have heard of a number of similar cases and they do not only take place in mainland China.”
Currently living with a friend in Ma On Shan, Rosgen said she would seek to terminate the work contract with her employer and turn to her hiring agency for further help.
