Maid in Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s maids say they’re treated like second class citizens by controversially being denied permanent residency.

They keep many of Hong Kong’s households moving, but the city’s maids say they’re being treated like second class citizens.

Around 300,000 come from other Asian countries, including the Philippines, but Hong Kong’s immigration laws specifically forbid them from getting permanent residency.

The government and its vocal supporters fear the influx of new residents and their families would overwhelm the already packed city.

Now, the issue is at the centre of a heated legal battle, with the Mission for Migrant Workers vocally campaigning for the underclass of domestic workers.

Adrian Brown meets some of the maids desperate for a better life and the hardline campaigners determined to stop them staying.