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Foreign maids deserve equal access to justice

On August 19, 2008

This is an interesting commentary from the South China Morning Post:

Foreign domestic helpers are guaranteed protection from abusive employers by Hong Kong law. Whatever their rights, though, it is a brave maid who goes to police alleging assault or to the Labour Department to fight for unpaid wages. Flawed immigration rules mean that to do so invariably means instant dismissal, the loss of the right to work and months, perhaps years, of being dependent on charity while the case is being heard. Unsurprisingly, such violations often go unreported.

In terms of being guaranteed protection, we wish that our governments here in the Middle East would learn from that and apply the law accordingly when it comes to foreign workers.