Hong Kong’s Immigration Department confirmed on 21 November that 34 people—including 13 former foreign domestic helpers who had overstayed their visas—were arrested this week during a territory-wide operation targeting illegal employment.
Raids on restaurants, food-production facilities and logistics depots over a three-day period netted 24 suspected illegal workers, two overstayers and eight alleged employers. The workers, mostly Indonesian and Filipino women aged 22-52, were allegedly earning HK$300–500 per day in dishwashing and cleaning roles.
![Immigration Department arrests 34 in latest crackdown on illegal workers]()
While the operation focuses on low-wage sectors, compliance professionals note that immigration authorities are increasingly scrutinising right-to-work documentation across all industries, including white-collar contract staff. Firms found employing people without valid visas face fines of up to HK$500,000 and imprisonment.
The crackdown is the third in two months and coincides with policy reviews aimed at balancing talent-attraction schemes with enforcement credibility. Multinationals should expect more workplace inspections and ensure that onboarding processes capture visa expiries and documentary changes, particularly for dependants switching status or BN(O) holders awaiting UK settlement decisions.
Separately, labour-hire agencies reported a spike in enquiries from employers seeking guidance on remote work arrangements to avoid inadvertent breaches, underscoring the need for clear global-mobility policies that distinguish between Hong Kong work and overseas secondments.
Raids on restaurants, food-production facilities and logistics depots over a three-day period netted 24 suspected illegal workers, two overstayers and eight alleged employers. The workers, mostly Indonesian and Filipino women aged 22-52, were allegedly earning HK$300–500 per day in dishwashing and cleaning roles.
While the operation focuses on low-wage sectors, compliance professionals note that immigration authorities are increasingly scrutinising right-to-work documentation across all industries, including white-collar contract staff. Firms found employing people without valid visas face fines of up to HK$500,000 and imprisonment.
The crackdown is the third in two months and coincides with policy reviews aimed at balancing talent-attraction schemes with enforcement credibility. Multinationals should expect more workplace inspections and ensure that onboarding processes capture visa expiries and documentary changes, particularly for dependants switching status or BN(O) holders awaiting UK settlement decisions.
Separately, labour-hire agencies reported a spike in enquiries from employers seeking guidance on remote work arrangements to avoid inadvertent breaches, underscoring the need for clear global-mobility policies that distinguish between Hong Kong work and overseas secondments.
