HONG KONG – The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has strongly disapproved of and condemned the Trafficking in Persons Report 2024 of the Department of State of the United States, which it said made unsubstantiated remarks against the situation in the SAR.

“Trafficking in persons (TIP) is never a prevalent problem in Hong Kong. There has never been any sign that Hong Kong is being actively used by syndicates as a destination or transit point for TIP,” a spokesperson for the HKSAR government said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

The rating of Hong Kong at Tier 2 (Watch List) is utterly unfair, misconceived, and not substantiated by facts, added the spokesperson, stressing that the findings in the report are groundless.

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The government’s statement also pointed out that it consistently attaches great importance to protecting foreign domestic helpers, the population of which is around 360,000

The HKSAR government conducted around 11,000 initial screenings related to TIP risks in 2023, representing an increase of 45 percent compared to 2022, according to the statement.

"The HKSAR government has always been making proactive and multi-pronged efforts in the fight against TIP,” stressed the spokesperson, noting that the SAR will continue its firm commitment to combating TIP.

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The government’s statement also pointed out that it consistently attaches great importance to protecting foreign domestic helpers (FDHs), the population of which is around 360,000.

An FDH Special Investigation Section was established in December 2019 in the Immigration Department to step up scrutiny of FDH visa applications to proactively identify potential TIP victims and cases of exploited foreign helpers.