The SUN HK : Immigration urges those who work under threat to complain

UN guidelines include human trafficking in domestic work.

The Immigration Department today urged people who are forced to work under threat of violence or death -- one of the indicators of trafficking in person (TIP) -- to report such crime immediately so that they can be helped.

“Identified TIP victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter or temporary accommodation and other supporting services,” ImmD said.

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The ImmD issued this call as it announced that another 10 people -- eight suspected illegal workers and two suspected employers -- were arrested in a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations codenamed "Greenlane" and "Twilight" for four consecutive days from February 20 to February 23.

ImmD Task Force officers made the arrests on 20 target locations including elderly homes, garbage collection depots, premises under renovation, residential buildings, restaurants and retail stores.

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“Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) victims,” it said.

“When any TIP indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the ImmD officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardized checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP elements, such as threats and coercion in the recruitment phase and the nature of exploitation,” it added.

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But it added that those who feel they are being forced to work against their will under exploitative conditions should report to authorities immediately.

According to guidelines from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, TIP indicators for people who have been trafficked for the purpose of domestic servitude include the following:

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• Live with a family.

• Not eat with the rest of the family.

• Have no private space.

• Sleep in a shared or inappropriate space.

• Being reported missing by their employer even though they are still living in their employer's house.

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• Never or rarely leave the house for social reasons.

• Never leave the house without their employer.

• Be given only leftovers to eat.

• Be subjected to insults, abuse, threats or violence.

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Thee indicators are combined with other indicators such as those classified as general indicators, where people may:

• Believe that they must work against their will.

• Be unable to leave their work environment.

• Show signs that their movements are being controlled.

• Feel that they cannot leave.

• Show fear or anxiety.

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• Be subjected to violence or threats of violence against themselves or against their family members and loved ones.

• Suffer injuries that appear to be the result of an assault.

• Suffer injuries or impairments typical of certain jobs or control measures.

• Suffer injuries that appear to be the result of the application of control measures.

• Be distrustful of the authorities.

• Be threatened with being handed over to the authorities.

• Be afraid of revealing their immigration status.

• Not in possession of their passports or other travel or identity documents, as those documents are being held by someone else.

• Have false identity or travel documents.

• Be found in or connected to a type of location likely to be used for exploiting people,

• Be unfamiliar with the local language.

• Not know their home or work address.

• Allow others to speak for them when addressed directly.

• Act as if they were instructed by someone else.

• Be forced to work under certain conditions.

• Be disciplined through punishment.

• Be unable to negotiate working conditions.

• Receive little or no payment.

• Have no access to their earnings.

• Work excessively long hours over long periods.

• Not have any days off.

• Live in poor or substandard accommodations.

• Have no access to medical care.

• Have limited or no social interaction.

• Have limited contact with their families or with people outside of

their immediate environment.

• Be unable to communicate freely with others.

• Be under the perception that they are bonded by debt.

• Be in a situation of dependence.

• Come from a place known to be a source of human trafficking.

• Have had the fees for their transport to the country of destination paid for by facilitators, whom they must payback by working or providing services in the destination.

• Have acted on the basis of false promises.

Crimes in Hong Kong can be reported to the following hotlines:

Emergency Call： 999.

Anti-Scam Helpline: 18222.

Recruitment Hotline: 2860 2860