Foreign maids lose case for HK residency

Hong Kong’s top court ruled against two Filipino domestic helpers seeking permanent residency on Monday, the final decision in a case that affects tens of thousands of other foreign maids in the southern Chinese financial hub. In a unanimous ruling, the Court of Final Appeal sided with the government’s position that tight restrictions on domestic helpers mean they don’t have the same status as other foreign residents, who can apply to settle permanently after seven years. Lawyers for the two had argued that an immigration provision barring domestic workers from permanent residency was unconstitutional. The court also rejected request for Beijing to have the final say in the matter.