The Standard
11 May 2017
More than 70 percent of domestic helper recruitment agencies in Hong Kong are charging excessive fees, according to a study by University of Hong Kong students. The investigation found that local agencies are also withholding helpers’ passports to coerce them into paying the debts they are forced to take on.
A concern group which helps foreign domestic workers, the Asian Migrants’ Coordinating Body, said the study shows the government needs to do more to protect the rights of overseas workers in Hong Kong. The group’s spokesman, Eman Villanueva, said migrant workers are often badly exploited by employment agencies and the problem is both serious and widespread.