Foreign maids lose bid for residency

It is the final decision in a case that affects tens of thousands of other foreign maids in the southern Chinese financial hub.

The Court of Final Appeal was unanimous in its ruling, siding with the government’s position that tight restrictions on domestic helpers mean they do not have the same status as other foreign residents.

Lawyers for the two had argued that an immigration provision barring domestic workers from permanent residency was unconstitutional.

The decision means Evangeline Banao Vallejos and Daniel Domingo are not allowed to apply to settle permanently after living at least seven years in Hong Kong.

Ms Vallejos has worked in Hong Kong since 1986 and Mr Domingo since 1985. Neither appeared at court.

“We are very disappointed,” said Mark Daly, a lawyer for the pair. He said Mr Vallejos was speechless after learning about the decision.

Mr Daly said the ruling was “not a good reflection of the values we should be teaching youngsters and people in our society”.

The case has split the city, home to nearly 300,000 maids from mainly south-east Asian countries. Some argue that barring maids from applying for residency amounts to ethnic discrimination.

But other groups feared the case would result in a massive influx of maids’ relatives arriving in Hong Kong, straining the densely populated city’s social services, health and education systems. Supporters of the maids say those fears are overblown.

Members of an activist group chanted “We are workers, not slaves” and other slogans on the courthouse’s front steps after the ruling was released. Eman Villanueva, secretary-general of United Filipinos in Hong Kong, said: “The message from the Court of Final Appeal is very unfair and discriminatory.”