|
Our
Reaction to Migrant Exploitation
There
are currently over 220,000 domestic helpers in Hong Kong. They come from
the poorer countries in the region, such as Indonesia, India, Philippines,
and Sri Lanka. They are in a vulnerable position in Hong Kong due to their
ignorance on employment and immigration laws, poor language skills and
low education levels. There was increasing evidence that these people
were often trapped in disputes with their employers and the agencies.
In response to the vulnerability of domestic helpers, Christian Action
launched the Domestic Helpers and Migrant Workers Programme (DMW) in 1993.
We give free para legal advice, guidance and counselling services to domestic
helpers and migrant workers, employed or unemployed in Hong Kong, regardless
of their backgrounds. Our objective is to ensure that workers understand
their legal rights and obligations in Hong Kong and use those rights to
defend themselves against exploitation, mistreatment, abuse and unfairness.
DMW is open 6 days per week and has a small team of staff and volunteers
from various backgrounds who are able to speak the workers' native language.
The need for our programme is evident. Since DMW's launch we have dealt
with over 77,475 consultations and over 14,892 consultations in 2004.
|
|
