It is difficult to imagine this type of behavior toward other people, but it goes on worldwide. “Staff” is not far off from “slave” for many.
They live largely unseen, in towering Hong Kong apartment blocks, trapped in a life of servitude to pay back crippling debts to unscrupulous recruiters who've lied to convince them to sign up.
According to a new report from Amnesty International, thousands of domestic workers from Indonesia are being duped into working in the city by brokers and agencies solely focused on profit.
“Every step of the way, from the moment their documents are confiscated in Indonesia their movements are controlled in Hong Kong,” said Norma Muico, the author of the report “Exploited for profit, failed by governments.”
“The recruitment agency tells the employer, ‘don't let your workers out for the first seven months when they pay their recruitment fees. Don't let them talk to other Indonesian workers.' Every aspect of their lives is controlled for the purpose of getting the money,” said Muico, Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific migrants' rights researcher.
via Amnesty report: Indonesian domestic workers exploited in Hong Kong – CNN.com.