Filipino Domestics in Hong Kong Continue Rise

More than 10,000 additional Filipino domestic workers came to Hong Kong last year, boosting their total population to 155,969, according to latest figures from the Immigration Department, reports The Sun. Filipino newcomers nearly accounted for almost all new foreign domestic worker arrivals,  suggesting that they are filling the additional demand in the market.  The slowdown in Indonesian immigration could partly be attributed to Jakarta's decision in May last year to charge employers of its nationals a hefty fee to cover medical examination, insurance and the cost of a round-trip ticket.Starting September last year, Filipinos outnumbered Indonesians for the first time in three years. The total number of Filipino domestics recorded at the end of that month was 152,807, compared with 151,382 for Indonesians. In the succeeding months, the gap widened even more to 3,467 by the end of October; 5,491 by November and 6,733 by December.