TIP assessment 2019-2020
Dear Labour Department,
Please could you provide a breakdown of the budget and staffing allocated to the divisions handling Trafficking-in-Persons assessments ("TIP assessment") for 2019 and 2020 respectively?
Please could you also provide the number of occassions where the Labour Department cooperated jointly with the Police, Customs & Excise Department, or Immigration Department to conduct an Interdepartamental Joint TIP assessment in 2019 and 2020 as well as a description of the processes involved in any such cooperation?
Yours faithfully,
Charlie
Dear Ms YEUNG,
Thank you for your email to the Labour Department on 23 December 2020 as
attached. Your request for information is being processed and we will
reply you in due course.
Yours sincerely,
(Ms Simona LAM)
For Commissioner for Labour
(Tel.: 3582 8971)
Dear Ms YEUNG,
Thank you for your email of 23 December 2020 enquiring information about
the Labour Department (LD)’s work relating to trafficking-in-persons
(TIP). Further to our acknowledgment reply on 4 January 2021, the
information requested is provided in the ensuing paragraphs.
For the implementation of the “Action Plan to Tackle Trafficking in
Persons and to Enhance Protection of Foreign Domestic Helpers in Hong
Kong”, the LD created 24 permanent posts and hired 7 contract staff in
2019-20 to strengthen support and assistance for foreign domestic helpers
(FDHs) and employers; step up enforcement against unscrupulous employment
agencies; introduce an initial victim screening mechanism in the branch
offices of its Labour Relations Division, such that FDHs potentially being
exploited or abused can be identified at an early stage, and that those
possibly facing greater danger (e.g. being physically abused) can be
referred to law enforcement agencies (LEAs) as soon as possible. The
staffing cost involved in the creation of the above posts was $22.741
million. The work relating to TIP is an integral part of the LD’s ongoing
work in providing support and assistance to FDHs and the manpower involved
in each relevant division cannot be separately identified.
The LD will consult LEAs and refer cases to LEAs when suspected offences
and irregularities under their purview were spotted. Subject to
circumstances of each case, LD will coordinate with LEAs for sharing
intelligence, case discussion, and joint enforcement and prosecution
actions with a view to better coordinating efforts in following up the
case. Coordination and liaison with LEAs will be made whenever necessary
and the LD does not keep the statistics requested.
Yours sincerely,
(Ms Simona LAM)
for Commissioner for Labour
(Tel.: 3582 8971)
