聯署：要求政府放寬「外傭強制留宿政策」
入境處於7月16日突擊檢查愉景灣稔樹灣村，並以涉嫌違反入境條例拘捕了六名菲律賓籍外傭。我們強烈要求政府早日檢視「外傭強制留宿政策」相關的入境條例，以確保僱傭雙方均有選擇的自由，並盡快向公眾提供外傭「合理工作及居住條件」指引，以及建立抽查外傭居住環境的制度，保障外傭的工作及居住環境是合理、安全，及具私隱的。
我們相信目前的「外傭強制留宿政策」不能有效防止外傭兼職，失去保障本地勞工就業的立法原意，更使僱主及外傭雙方無奈失去選擇外宿與否的權利與自由。而且，不少外傭組織曾就「強制留宿政策」作出調查，顯示「強制留宿」會助長外傭受到虐待、不合理的工作與及居住待遇。若政策能更有彈性，容許有條件的僱主讓外傭外宿，可令僱傭雙方更有自由，也可各自享有私人空間。
至於與僱主同住的外傭，政府也應該負起責任，建立指引及抽查制度，杜絶對外傭的不合理居住條件。相信大家對去年媒體揭發外傭被安排居住在廁所的事例還記憶猶新，其實，外傭肩負起家務勞動的重責，讓僱主輕鬆地投入職場，對於促進本港勞動巿場有極大的貢獻。香港作為國際城巿，實在應該檢視及修訂相關「強制留宿」的條例以保障外傭得到合理工作待遇和居住條件。目前的政策將外傭外宿視為犯法，實屬不公，亦將為國際恥笑。
故此，我們強烈要求：
1) 那些只因外宿而犯法的外傭不應被驅逐，而且能返回僱主住所繼續工作。同時，入境事務處必須交代六名被捕外傭將面對甚麼檢控？她們是否得到應有的協助？－包括法律援助。
2) 必須修改禁止在外留宿的條例，僱主同意外傭在外留宿的話，應支付及安排其住宿。這樣能確保外傭亦享有私隱、自學、融入社會、休息時間及個人生活的權利。
3) 制訂具體政策確保與僱主同住的外傭擁有合理的居住環境，政府應負起落實執行和監察的責任。同時，在制訂政策時，必須廣泛諮詢所有持分者，包括外傭團體及人權組織。
請盡速回應。
Association for the Advancement of Feminism 新婦女協進會
Open Door 家·傭同行
Half The Sky Public Education. 半邊天公益
Father Mark Rogers, St. John’s Cathedral
Statement of Hong Kong Organizations and Individuals to Request an End to Ban on Workers Living Outside Employers’ Homes
TVB recently reported that Immigration raided the village of Nim Shue Wan in Discovery Bay, checking the documents of the domestic workers living there and arresting six Filipina domestic workers.(1)
We strongly believe that banning live-out helps no one in Hong Kong at all. Migrant domestic worker organizations such as Mission for Migrant Workers have given strong evidence that the live-in rule contributes to regular, systematic abuses faced by workers each year. (2)
Furthermore, arresting workers who do live out is deeply unjust and cruel. The employers who allow them to live out are giving them the chance to live like adults with their own private space and time, as well as preserving private family time for the employer, and the government should enable this to be a legal option as much as possible instead of threatening and punishing them.
The migrant domestic workers are an important and valuable part of our society and it is a deep shame to Hong Kong as an international city at this time to continue making it a crime to let workers live apart from their employers.
Therefore we strongly request to the Hong Kong government:
1) Immigration Department must inform us: who is assisting those six arrested workers, what are the charges they face, and what is being planned for them? Those whose only legal violation is living outside the home should not be deported but should be allowed to return to their employers’ homes to continue work.
2) The policy of banning live out must be reversed, and the option of live-out with employer paying for housing must be allowed right away. This will be a start in enhancing the domestic workers’ privacy, their self-education, their intermingling in society, and their rest and satisfaction with work and life in Hong Kong. This would be a small but necessary start in implementing improved women worker safety, gender equality and dignified work for migrant women workers in Hong Kong.
3) Take concrete measures to ensure that live-in migrant workers are given proper accommodation – beginning with a clearer definition of ‘proper’ accommodation and means of enforcement.
We look forward to your response.
The Undersigned.
Association for the Advancement of Feminism 新婦女協進會
Open Door 家·傭同行
Half The Sky Public Education. 半邊天公益
Father Mark Rogers, St. John’s Cathedral
新婦女協進會 