Despite Joko Widodo pledge, Indonesian domestic helpers are still coming to Hong Kong
Indonesian president had vowed to restrict numbers, but consul general revealed an average of 1,000 a month had entered city since July
Plans to stem the flow of Indonesian domestic helpers to Hong Kong appear to have been put on hold after the country’s consul general in the city revealed 5,000 maids had entered Hong Kong in the last five months, more than in the whole of 2016.
Speaking on the sidelines of a launch event for Indonesia’s chamber of commerce, Consul General Tri Tharyat said a monthly average of 1,000 new Indonesian domestic helpers had come to Hong Kong for employment.
“We are still very much open. Recently the government enacted the new law for protection of Indonesian workers abroad, so I think it is giving more protection to our foreign workers, in which there will be more engagement of the governments … and giving less and less of a role to the [employment] agencies,” he said.
According to Hong Kong government figures, there were an additional 3,834 Indonesian domestic helpers in 2016. Figures from the last five months have exceeded last year’s number.
