Hong Kong maids lose ‘right to stay’

Hong Kong’s government has won an appeal against a ruling that would have allowed 300,000 Filipina and Indonesian maids to apply for residency.

Under its constitution, foreigners are entitled to permanent residency if they live there for seven years straight. Immigration law, however, denies that right to foreigners who work as home helps.

The High Court yesterday ruled: “A foreign domestic helper’s stay is for a very special, limited purpose… to meet society’s acute demand which cannot be met [locally].”