Southeast Asia job scams: Hong Kong’s inadequate response to victims’ plight ‘shows need for stronger human trafficking laws’
- Security chief says existing laws are sufficient, but experts call for ‘bespoke’ trafficking legislation
- Authorities received 41 requests for help since January, set up task force only early this month
Hong Kong lacks tough laws and an effective network with countries in the region to combat human trafficking scams, according to legal experts and analysts.
Dismayed by the government’s apparent inability to help dozens of Hongkongers ensnared in fake employment and romance traps in Southeast Asia, they said the city’s relatively weak connections with countries there might have hindered prevention and rescue efforts.
Hong Kong also lacked specific laws targeting human trafficking, with sufficiently harsh penalties to deter criminals, they added.
This was unlike mainland China, experts said, which has bilateral agreements on human trafficking with countries such as Myanmar, and imposed the death penalty for trafficking in women and children, or life imprisonment for scams targeting men.
Hong Kong’s ability to combat human trafficking was thrust under the spotlight after a spate of cases emerged recently of residents lured abroad by employment and romance scams.
Security officials revealed that from January to April, the police began receiving requests for help from families who said their relatives had gone missing after travelling to Southeast Asia. After more cases emerged in June, the police posted videos on Facebook last month, warning about overseas scams.
