The Food & Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), supported by the Immigration Department and the Hong Kong Police Force, conducted a joint operation on 21 September 2026 against unlicensed hawking and obstruction in popular Sunday gathering spots for foreign domestic helpers in Central and Mong Kok. Two men holding immigration recognisance forms that prohibit employment and one Mainland visitor with an Exit-Entry Permit were among those arrested. Officials issued 36 fixed-penalty tickets and seized 24 trolleys of goods ranging from snacks to counterfeit phone accessories. The operation forms part of a broader clamp-down launched this summer to address public complaints about congested walkways and to curb illegal employment among overstayers and visitors. For mobility managers, the campaign highlights tightened enforcement around visa conditions. Domestic helpers and other foreign workers on dependent or visitor status found engaging in unauthorised work risk immediate removal and a two-year re-entry ban. Employers who knowingly hire such individuals face fines up to HK$500,000 and imprisonment of up to 10 years. The action also underscores the importance of documenting the work scope of home-based carers under Hong Kong’s Foreign Domestic Helper scheme and ensuring any ad-hoc market stalls or side gigs—common among helpers seeking supplemental income—are expressly forbidden by contract. Corporates providing relocation packages that include domestic-helper sponsorship should review onboarding material and reiterate compliance obligations.
