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| Immigration offiers escort suspected illegal worker arrested during an operation. |
The government today underlined its intent to stop illegal work by imposing a stiff prison sentence on a Filipina asylum seeker who had overstayed her domestic helper visa by three years when she was arrested while working in an Indian restaurant last month.
Ailyna Plasos, 38 years old, pleaded guilty to the charge of
taking employment while remaining in Hong Kong in breach of her limit of
stay -- a violation of the Immigration Ordinance.
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| DETALYE |
Magistrate David Chum imposed on her the usual penalty of 16
months in jail.
But instead of giving a one-third discount for the guilty
plea, which would be at least five months, Magistrate Chum gave her a discount
of just two months, for a final sentence of 14 months.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
He largely ignored her duty lawyer’s appeal for leniency, saying
her guilty plea resulted in the court saving time in prosecuting the case
because a hearing scheduled for Jan. 5 would no longer be needed.
Plasos was arrested last Nov. 22 in one of the three raids
conducted by the Immigration Department in Kwun Tong. Arrested with her in the operations
last Nov. 21-23 were four others who were found working in Hung Hom and Kowloon
City.
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| Pindutin para sa detalye |
She was caught serving customers in an Indian restaurant, as
well as doing other chores such as accepting payments and cooking.
Her lawyer said that she did not know that as an asylum
seeker, she was entitled to an allowance for food and rent from the government and
so had to fend for herself, working in odd jobs to avoid getting hungry.
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| Pindutin para sa detalye |
When she passed by the restaurant and saw a sign that it was
hiring, she applied and was accepted, her lawyer said.
Plasos arrived in Hong Kong in 2014 and worked as a domestic helper for six years. When her contract ended in 2020, she failed to find a new employer but stayed on.
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| PADALA NA! |
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