State of Health of Migrants 2005: Hong Kong

Abstract

Hong Kong is an attractive destination country for migrant workers from across Asia. According to government statistics, at the end of 2004, there were 19,155 foreign professionals, 218,430 foreign domestic workers and 11,037 other foreign workers in possession of valid work permits in Hong Kong. For the most part, work permits are granted to professionals and foreign domestic workers. Of the foreign domestic workers employed in Hong Kong in 2004, 54.8 per cent were from the Philippines and 41.2 per cent from Indonesia. There are also an indeterminate number of migrants working in Hong Kong without valid work permits. This research is focused on the 'access to health' experiences of documented domestic workers, with some additional information provided on sex workers in Hong Kong. Data were collected through two sources: Hong Kong government publications and fieldwork (focus group discussions and in-depth interviews). Field research consisted of two focus group discussions with nine domestic workers from the Philippines, two focus group discussions with 12 domestic workers from Indonesia, in-depth interviews with four employers of foreign workers, and in-depth interviews with six staff members of NGOs who work on issues connected to foreign domestic work. Six doctors were also asked to share their experiences in treating foreign patients.