A Hong Kong judge ruled
restrictions on foreign maids that prevented them from permanent
residency status in the Chinese city are unconstitutional.
Judge Johnson Lam issued the ruling in Hong Kong Court of First
Instance today, after hearing 2 1/2 days of arguments last month. A
copy of his decision wasn’t immediately available.
Evangeline Banao Vallejos, who has lived in Hong Kong since
1986, challenged the rejection of her application, with her lawyer
asking the court why other expatriates such as bankers or cooks can
apply for permanent residence after living in the city continuously
for seven years.
Vallejos’s victory opens the door for Hong Kong’s 300,000
foreign maids to apply for permanent-resident status if they meet
the seven-year residency requirement.
“The government needs to appeal this case,” Paul Tse, a lawmaker
representing the tourism sector in Hong Kong, said in a phone
interview. “This could lead to enormous pressure on our medical,
educational and welfare system.”
Government lawyer David Pannick had argued that Hong Kong’s
Basic Law allows lawmakers to determine the status of foreign
residents and that the maid wasn’t eligible to apply.
from bloomberg