The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today vehemently refuted the assessment about Hong Kong in the US Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report 2023.

While noting that Hong Kong's rating was adjusted upward to Tier 2 in the report, the Hong Kong SAR Government said it strongly disapproved of and firmly rejected the report's unsubstantiated remarks. 

The statement said: “Trafficking in persons (TIP) is never a prevalent problem in Hong Kong, and there has never been any sign that Hong Kong is being actively used by syndicates as a destination or transit point for TIP.”

The Hong Kong SAR Government noted that it has all along been making proactive and multipronged efforts in the fight against TIP and injected an enormous amount of resources to combat TIP and enhance the protection and well-being of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) in Hong Kong.

A high-level steering committee was established in 2018 which promulgated an action plan to tackle TIP and enhance protection of FDHs. The action plan contained measures including victim identification and protection as well as partnership with different stakeholders. By the end of 2019, the plan's measures were firmly put in place.

Additionally, a special investigation section was established in 2019 in the Immigration Department to step up scrutiny of FDH visa applications to facilitate identification of potential TIP victims and cases of exploited helpers.  

In 2022, some 7,600 initial screenings were conducted with a record-high of 32 TIP victims identified. Of them, 31 were Hong Kong residents trafficked out of Hong Kong in relation to employment fraud in Southeast Asian countries.

The swift identification of the 31 victims speaks for the effectiveness of the Hong Kong SAR Government's TIP victim screening mechanism, the statement added.

On the claim about the lack of composite trafficking legislation in the city, the Hong Kong SAR Government pointed out that the current legislative framework comprising over 50 legal provisions against various TIP conducts provides a comprehensive package of safeguards comparable to composite TIP laws found in other jurisdictions and has served the city well.

“Every jurisdiction should have its latitude to determine the best legal framework to tackle the issue and there is simply no one-size-fits-all solution. There is no indication to suggest the effectiveness of Hong Kong's anti-TIP efforts is undermined without composite trafficking legislation.”

Ignoring the Hong Kong SAR Government's efforts and achievements solely because it adopts a multi-legislation approach to tackle TIP seriously calls into question the credibility and objectivity of the report, it added.

As regards the National Security Law, the statement highlighted that it clearly stipulates four categories of offences endangering national security, with the elements of the offences, the penalties, mitigation factors and consequences clearly prescribed.

Any law enforcement actions taken by law enforcement agencies are based on evidence, strictly according to the law and for the acts of the people concerned. Acts and activities endangering national security are distinctly different from normal interactions, and law-abiding people will not unwittingly violate the law.

The US Department of State's remarks about the National Security Law in its report amount to nothing but sheer political smears against Hong Kong, the statement concluded.   

“As a responsible member of the international community, the Hong Kong SAR Government will continue its firm commitment to contributing to the global efforts for this important cause.”