Foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong set up tents under bus terminuses on days off
Online complaints during Labour Day golden week mistakenly blamed mainland tourists, but helpers say they have nowhere else to go
L'essentiel
- Foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong are setting up tents under bus terminuses during their days off, sparking online complaints that mistakenly blamed mainland tourists during Labour Day golden week.
- Helpers say they have been gathering at these locations for about two years because they have nowhere else to go on their rest days.
Résumé généré par IA
Pourquoi c'est important
Hong Kong's foreign domestic helpers often have limited options for spending their rest days, as many cannot afford private spaces and public areas have restrictions. The helpers have been gathering at bus terminuses intermittently for about two years.
Tents beneath Hong Kong bus terminuses that have drawn online complaints during mainland China's Labour Day "golden week" holiday are being used by foreign domestic helpers, who say they have nowhere else to go on days off. Images of tents lining streets across the city, from Tai Po to Central and Tseung Kwan O, have circulated widely on social media in recent days. Some posts suggested mainland visitors were camping, as tourist numbers surged during the holiday period. However, visits by the South China Morning Post found those resting there were domestic helpers, many of whom said they had been gathering at the areas intermittently for about two years. "We come here because it's near where we live, and there isn't really anywhere else we can stay," said a domestic helper who identified herself only as Cecilia at a bus terminus near Lohas Park's Hemera Topaz block in Tseung Kwan O. "Sometimes we go to Central if there's a party, but mostly we just stay here."
Questions ouvertes
- What solutions are being proposed to provide adequate rest day facilities for domestic helpers?
- Are there any government or NGO programs addressing this issue?
- How many domestic helpers are affected by lack of resting spaces?
