Bethune House refuge hopes to expand legal support services for distressed domestic helpers seeking justice in Hong Kong
- Charity helped with more than 600 legal cases involving migrant employees last year
- Huge demand for service, executive director says
Going through a trial can be stressful, and the experience is likely to be more intense if the proceedings take place in a foreign court.
That explains why a charity deems it necessary to provide legal support services for the non-native domestic workers seeking justice in Hong Kong.
The Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge, which has sheltered many needy domestic helpers from the Philippines and Indonesia over the past 30 years, plans to expand a scheme to offer practical assistance to its ethnic minority residents involved in litigation.
Executive director Edwina Antonio-Santoyo said it was important to give guidance to the distressed women who were unfamiliar with the city’s justice system.
“Knowing the law will give you confidence. If you don’t know the procedure, you will lose the case,” she explained.
Last year the group helped with more than 600 legal cases involving migrant employees.
