Hong Kong court hears appeal on maids' residency

Hong Kong's highest court on Monday rejected the final appeal of two Filipino workers to gain permanent residency in Hong Kong, dealing a blow to thousands of foreign domestic helpers seeking to make the Chinese territory their permanent home.

Hong Kong's highest court has thrown out a case that would have given hundreds of thousands of foreign domestic helpersthe right to seek permanent residency, giving them the same rights as other foreign workers. The five-judge Court of Final Appeal was unanimous in its ruling Monday, siding with the government, which argued that a favorable ruling would swamp the already overcrowded city's population. Lawyers for two domestic workers from the Philippines, who had filed the suit, had ...

The Hong Kong Court of Appeal on Wednesday overturned a historic ruling that would have allowed overseas maids to seek permanent resident status in the affluent Chinese territory, supporting the arguments of the local government.

Long-term domestic workers are the focus of a court case that has fueled an emotional debate about what it means to be a Hong Kong resident.

Hong Kong's top court has ruled that domestic workers are not eligible to apply for permanent residency, ending a lengthy legal battle that has split opinion.