Govt looking to provide imported laborers with more dorms: Bernadette Linn

The government is now looking to explore more land in the New Territories to build dorms for imported laborers and to transform the makeshift facilities into temporary units, Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho said. 

This came as a quota for some 12,000 under the Labor Importation Scheme for the Construction Sector have been approved in phases. 

Authorities expect that some 7,000 places at the dormitory in Tam Mei, Yuen Long will become full around mid-2024. 

Speaking in the Legislative Council meeting on Wednesday, Linn said some contractors have spoken of accommodation arrangements for the imported workers on the mainland. She added that authorities will continue to maintain close contact with the industry sector on the workers’ dormitory needs. 

Linn admitted the scheme tilted towards public projects and works after Real Estate and Construction Constituency Lawmaker Louis Loong Hon-biu asked the government to allow workers to be imported for private projects. 

Linn continued that the labor sector worried that the scheme would be abused and have more faith in the government’s role as the regulator when it comes to work management and manpower arrangements. 

The development chief also pointed out that private work contractors can still import overseas workers if they can prove the relevant work expertise they require are very special.