Hong Kong Rejects 'False and Unfounded' US Human Trafficking Report

Hong Kong, 2024-06-26 - The Hong Kong government has strongly rejected the findings of the latest US State Department Trafficking in Persons Report, calling the accusations regarding trafficked foreign domestic helpers "false and unfounded."

The 2024 report downgraded Hong Kong's status from Tier 2 to the Tier 2 Watch List, one tier down on the four-tier scale used by the US to assess countries' efforts to combat human trafficking.

In the report, the US criticized Hong Kong, stating that foreign domestic helpers remained at high risk of trafficking and that local authorities had failed to take adequate measures for victim identification and protection. Specifically, the report claimed that while thousands of vulnerable individuals had been screened, only 3 victims were identified, down from 32 in the previous reporting period. The report also said the government did not provide services to any victims.

However, the Hong Kong government has firmly refuted these claims. Officials stated that there has never been any sign of Hong Kong being actively used as a destination or transit point for human trafficking. They called the report's findings "groundless...unfair, misconceived and not substantiated by facts."

The government highlighted that over 11,000 initial screenings of potentially vulnerable persons were conducted in 2023, a 45% increase from the previous year. They also pointed to ongoing efforts to combat human trafficking, such as the Labour Department providing comprehensive support to foreign domestic helpers and recent enhancements to the Code of Practice for Employment Agencies.

In a strongly worded statement, the Hong Kong authorities made clear they "vehemently oppose and firmly reject the unfounded and false remarks in the report." They stand by the quality of their trafficking screening efforts and the determination of the city to combat this issue.

香港堅決否認「虛假及無根據」的美國人口販運報告

香港,2024年6月26日 - 香港政府已強烈駁斥最新的美國國務院人口販運報告的調查結果,稱指控有關被販運的外籍家庭傭工的指控「虛假及無根據」。

2024年的報告將香港的地位從第二級降到第2級觀察名單,在四級評級中下降了一級。

在報告中,美國批評香港,稱外籍家庭傭工仍然面臨高度人口販運風險,而當地當局未能採取足夠的措施識別和保護受害者。具體而言,報告指出,儘管對數千名易受害者進行了篩查,但只識別出3名受害者,而上一個報告期則識別出32名受害者。報告還表示,政府沒有為任何受害者提供服務。

然而,香港政府已堅決駁斥了這些指控。官員表示,香港從未有任何跡象顯示正被積極用作人口販運的目的地或過境點。他們稱報告的調查結果「毫無根據...不公平、 錯誤認識,且缺乏事實依據」。

政府強調,2023年共進行了超過11,000次初步篩查可能受害者,較前一年增加45%。他們還提到了持續打擊人口販運的努力,例如勞工處為外籍家庭傭工提供全面支援,以及最近加強了職業介紹所的操守守則。

在一份措辭強烈的聲明中,香港當局明確表示,他們「強烈反對並堅決拒絕報告中的無根據和虛假言論」。他們堅信自己的人口販運篩查工作的質量,以及香港打擊這一問題的決心。