FDHs warned against illegal work as 10 people arrested in Immigration raids

 

Immigration agents lead away one of 5 suspected illegal workers arrested yesterday

Ten people, two of them foreign domestic helpers and three overstayers, were arrested in a day-long  anti-illegal work operation yesterday by  Immigration Department agents.

The five others were suspected employers.

The operation yesterday was carried out across the territory, and targeted 15 locations, including restaurants, employment agencies, retail shops and industrial buildings.

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The arrested workers were all women, aged 39 to 59. They were found to have worked as dishwasher, waitress, clerical worker and delivery staff. A copy of a forged Hong Kong identity card was also found during the operation.

The five suspected employers, meanwhile, comprised four men and one woman, aged 39 to 62.

A statement issued by Immigration said  the case is still under investigation, and did not rule out further arrests.

2 more illegal workers are taken away for questioning

The statement warned: "A helper should only perform domestic duties for the employer specified in the contract. The helper should not take up any other employment, including part-time domestic duties, with any other person. The employer should not require or allow the helper to carry out any work for any other person,"  

Illegal work is a serious offence, for which a maximum sentence of two years’ imprisonment and $50,000 fine is prescribed. The jail term could go up to three years if the illegal worker is an overstayer, illegal immigrant, or asylum seeker.

Those found to have used a forged HKID card to obtain work could face up to 10 years in prison and $100,000 fine. Making false representation to Immigration or possessing a false instrument is even more serious, as it could result in imprisonment for up to 14 years and a fine of $150,000.

Employers of illegal workers face a maximum fine of $500,000 and 10 years’ imprisonment. Merely failing to check the identity document of a job applicant properly could result in a fine of $150,000 and imprisonment for one year.

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