The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government attaches great importance to combatting human trafficking.

The Hong Kong SAR Government made the statement today in response to the US Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report 2020.

In the statement, the Hong Kong SAR Government said that it strongly objects to the report, adding it contains allegations made by unidentified sources and without specific case details.

The Hong Kong SAR Government is disappointed to note that much of the report’s analysis appears to be based on hearsay, adding the findings are groundless and the report’s rating of Hong Kong is biased and not substantiated by facts. It firmly rejected the findings and rating.

The Hong Kong SAR Government said Hong Kong has been making proactive, all-out and multi-pronged efforts to combat human trafficking.

The Action Plan to Tackle Trafficking in Persons & to Enhance Protection of Foreign Domestic Helpers in Hong Kong and the Hong Kong SAR Government’s continuous efforts in the past two years formed a solid foundation. The Hong Kong SAR Government's resolve to combat human trafficking is beyond doubt.

The action plan comprises 14 new and 20 ongoing measures on victim identification, investigation, enforcement, prosecution, victim protection and support, prevention and partnership building with different stakeholders.

Since the 2019-20 financial year, the Hong Kong SAR Government has provided recurrent funding of $62 million annually to create 98 new posts in various departments to support the action plan’s implementation.

By the end of 2019, the action plan was fully implemented, with all initiatives firmly in place.

In 2019, more than 7,500 initial human trafficking victim screenings were conducted by various departments concerned, including Police, the Immigration Department, Customs and the Labour Department.

The screening questions used by the departments are akin to those proposed by advocating non-governmental organisations, and the definition of human trafficking adopted is the same as the one set out in the Palermo Protocol although it has never been applied to Hong Kong.

Despite such proactive and intensified screening efforts, only three people or 0.04% of all screening conducted were identified as victims.

The Hong Kong SAR Government said the small number and percentage of victims identified reinforces its observation that human trafficking has never been a prevalent problem in Hong Kong, adding there has never been any sign that syndicates are actively using the city as a destination or transit point for human trafficking.

To attack Hong Kong for lagging behind in its anti-human trafficking efforts despite such a positive outcome is unfair and illogical, the statement added.

The Hong Kong SAR Government stressed that human trafficking is a heinous crime that has never been tolerated in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong has over 50 legal provisions against various human trafficking conducts that form a comprehensive package of safeguards comparable to composite human trafficking laws found in other jurisdictions.

The statement pointed out that the Hong Kong SAR Government’s intensified efforts and notable improvements achieved in recent years, including dedicated efforts both in policy steer and frontline enforcement, a significant expansion of victim screening coverage and investment of substantial new resources, should have been recognised.

To persistently attack the Hong Kong SAR Government’s multi-legislation approach, which has proved to be effective, insisting that Hong Kong must introduce a composite trafficking-in-persons law, is unreasonable and inconceivable, it said.

By ignoring the Hong Kong SAR Government’s efforts and achievements solely because a multi-legislation approach to tackle human trafficking is used seriously calls the credibility and objectivity of the report into question, the statement added.

The Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to foster a constructive partnership with the civil society in combatting human trafficking on all fronts.