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The Immigration Department (ImmD) has arrested 17 individuals during a three-day citywide operation aimed at combating illegal labor, specifically targeting foreign domestic helpers who unlawfully take on commercial work at businesses owned by their employers.
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The enforcement action, code-named Swordfish, saw immigration investigators raid 21 targeted locations across the city, including restaurants, retail shops, hair salons, barbecue sites, and commercial buildings.
The operation resulted in the apprehension of nine suspected illegal workers and eight Hong Kong residents believed to have employed them.
The arrested workers, comprising eight women and one man aged between 29 and 50, were primarily Indonesian and Philippine nationals.
This group included two current domestic helpers, three former helpers who had overstayed their visas, three individuals holding recognizance forms, and one imported worker.
The eight local residents arrested, aged 26 to 76, were identified as business owners, managers, and the contractual employers of the helpers.
During the raids, investigators uncovered multiple instances where domestic helpers were performing unauthorized commercial duties for extra pay.
In one case, a helper was discovered working one to two hours as a waitress and kitchen assistant during the busy dinner rush at a restaurant owned by her employer.
Another helper was caught working at a grocery store operated by her employer's family, where she handled tasks ranging from opening the shop and moving inventory to bookkeeping and operating the cash register.
In a separate incident, officers raided a Wan Chai hair salon and arrested a Pakistani illegal worker who was providing cheap haircuts and dye jobs to fellow countrymen.
The salon owner had deliberately plastered the shop's windows and doors with posters to obstruct the view from the street and evade law enforcement scrutiny.
Immigration officials issued a stern reminder that it is strictly illegal for foreign domestic helpers to assist in an employer's commercial enterprise, regardless of how brief the shift is or whether extra compensation is provided.
Under the standard employment contract, domestic helpers are restricted exclusively to performing household chores at their designated residential address.
Participating in any other business or employment is a direct violation of their conditions of stay.
The legal consequences for these infractions are severe. Domestic helpers found breaching their conditions of stay face a maximum fine of HK$50,000 and up to two years in prison, while overstayers and illegal immigrants face similar fines and up to three years behind bars.
The penalties for employers are even heavier, with those convicted of hiring illegal workers facing fines of up to HK$500,000 and a decade in prison.
To combat this issue, the Immigration Department has launched a new educational video on its social media platforms to remind employers of their legal obligations while urging the public to report any suspected illegal labor activities through their dedicated hotline or online channels.
