圖/取自台灣移工文學獎
文/印尼家庭傭工Yuli Riswati之友人
向外傭介紹反送中運動 印傭作家遭入境處拘留28天未獲釋
政府假借出入境問題 實情政治欺壓外傭作家
在港工作十年的印尼家庭傭工Yuli Riswati 是本港知名的「印傭作家」，曾經投稿於之前被射傷右眼的印尼女記者工作的印尼文媒體SUARA。Yuli的作品受到廣泛認可，於去年更獲得台灣移民工文學獎優選獎。自從香港反送中運動以來，她一直關心香港人，與香港人同行，走入群眾之中、搜集及閱讀中外報導，以了解事件，並在其Facebook及 Migran Pos 平台向同鄉解釋香港在發生什麼事，不讓同鄉被蒙在鼓裏，及被假消息假報導恐嚇及滋擾。
可是，在她接受傳媒訪問及向傳媒表態支持香港反送中示威者之後，入境處以她忘記工作簽證的續期為由，在9月23日上門拘捕Yuli，直至11月4日，入境處於沙田裁判法院以「不提證供起訴」撤銷對她的「過期居留」的控罪。撤銷控罪後，她本以為可以繼續為僱主工作，可是，入境處竟於同日把她無理拘留在青山灣入境事務中心，理由是她在港「無親無故、無地方住」，而這並不是事實，因為她的僱主自她被捕開始一直多次以書面向入境處說明要繼續聘請她，要求申請簽證續期，也願意在批准簽證之前給她提供在港之食宿。
Yuli跟現時的僱主簽訂是今年年初開始的兩年合約，由於她的護照在八月到期，原本的工作簽證只到7月27日。她續了護照，卻忘了做簽證續期。一般而言，只要僱傭合約仍然生效，入境處會讓僱主及外傭解釋未能及時申請續簽的原因，繼而簽發簽證。
然而，入境處竟動用「上門拘捕」的手段，將Yuli拘捕，使用了不合比例的高壓手段。僱主自Yuli被拘控後已不斷以書面要求續期簽證及聘用她，並表示可提供Yuli的住宿，但入境處無視僱主的要求，並強行拘留她，一直至11月8日，Yuli在拘留所才護辧理簽證續期申請。三日後，Yuli仍等待簽證續期申請之時，入境處卻於11月11日發出遞解令 ，Yuli 對遞解令提出上訴， Yuli的代表律師亦多次要求入境處給Yuli發放「行街紙」，入境處拒絶律師要求及多番拖延回覆律師的提問，並繼續拘留Yuli 。這次對Yuli的無理拘禁，明顯是針對Yuli的政治打壓。入境處無視Yuli與其僱主的僱傭合約，踐踏了Yuli的工作權和其僱主聘用她的權利。
現時Yuli仍然被扣留，至今已28日。11月28日入境處通知Yuli她的遞解令上訴不果，她將被遞解出境。她因受冷而生病，卻每天只獲派一顆不知名的藥丸，長期的嘔吐及受冷，加上被阻延送醫及沒終點的拘留期。在11月29日，入境處人員SK Cheng強迫Yuli 簽署撤銷她的簽証續期申請，Yuli最初拒簽，可是入境處人員要脅她說，如果不想再被拘留，就要取消簽証申請，Yuli無耐接受並寫上理由說取消簽証是因為被拘留很久兼無了期，入境處人員亦拒絕，說明她這樣寫，「律師會告我們，麻煩我們」。Yuli 在與入境處人員對峙了足足一個早上，直至她身體不適，無耐按入境處人員指令，取消簽証申請。Yuli 希望入境處能以公平公正的制度盡快批出她的簽證續期，以完成在香港未完成的合約期，並停止對她的政治打壓及無理拘留。
一群由Yuli朋友組成的支援組 2019年12月1日
相關報導：台灣「移工文學獎」得主報導反送中 遭無故拘留一個月恐被取消簽証
參考連結：
Yuli’s facebook page: Independen Konseling BMI @ink.bmi
【2018移民工文學奬】優選｜ 那個傷口依然在我體內 Luka Itu Masih Ada di Tubuhku＿Yuli Riswati
傳媒訪問：
2019.06.25 香港01 隱形香港: 【外．融嘉年華】外傭攝影師紀錄反逃犯條例遊行︰香港人，加油！
2019.09.19 明報: 印傭辦網媒 為同鄉直擊反修例 周日不休息 被打罵無阻上前線
2019.10.01 蘋果日報 蘋人誌：印傭搞網媒 成篤灰受害者 「我們與港人團結一致」
Press Release
1 Dec 2019
Indonesian migrant domestic worker detained for 28 days for writing about Hong Kong protests
In the name of immigration measures, Hong Kong government politically suppress the worker writer
Yuli Riswati, well-known in Hong Kong public as the “Indonesian domestic worker writer”, has worked as a domestic worker in Hong Kong for ten years. She used to submit her writings to SUARA, the Indonesian newspaper in Hong Kong where Veby Mega Indah, the Indonesian reporter has her right eye short blinded by the Police. She is also an award-winning writer. Last year, she got the Taiwan Literature Award for Migrants. She is well-known among the Indonesian migrant domestic workers for her facebook page “Independen Konseling BMI” and also her volunteer reporting for independent Indonesian online media “Migran Pos”. Since the outcry of Hong Kong people against the authority’s extradition bill, she has shown her concern to Hong Kong people. She went into the People’s actions and activities to take photographs and writes on what is happening. She reads local and international news on Hong Kong to understand what is happening and writes to tell her fellow Indonesians news about Hong Kong. She does not want Indonesians in Hong Kong to be kept in the dark, and worse to be harassed and even intimidated by fake news and messages.
However, after news reports were made about her and her stance in support of Hong Kong people, officers of the immigration department of Hong Kong arrested her from her residency where it was also her workplace as a domestic worker on 23 Sep 2019. On 4 Nov 2019, the presiding officer of Sha Tin Magistrates’ Court decided to “offer no evidence” against her. She is not being charged for her overstay. However, to her surprise, the Immigration Department then transferred her to Castle Peak Bay Immigration Centre (CIC) and detained her with the reason that she has no friends and no homes in Hong Kong which is untrue. Her employer has all the time requested the Immigration Department to allow her to extend her visa and continue her work as an elderly carer.
Yuli has a two-year employment contract with her employer starting from 12 January 2019. As her passport expired in August 2019, her work visa was issued until 27 July 2019. She’d forgot to extend her visa which expired on 27 July 2019 after she has renewed her passport on 24 July 2019. “It is quite often that migrant domestic workers forget to extend their visa. They always know well about their employment contract which is a two-year Standard Contract. They pay less attention to the visa. The workers have not or only limited English to understand well on everything. They are too busy working 24-hour standby from Monday to Saturday. Usually when it is found that the worker’s visa is expired, as long as there is still a contract, the employer confirms the hiring of the worker and explain in a letter to the Immigration why they forgot to extend the visa, the Immigration always allow the workers to get their visa renewed without any hassle. I have never seen a case that the Immigration will go to the homes and arrest workers based on this.” Dang, chairperson of Hong Kong Federation of Domestic Workers Unions (FADWU) was surprised for what had happened to Yuli.
The Immigration has treated with Yuli’s non-renewal of visa with a heavy hand. Since Yuli’s arrest, her employer has been continuously requested the Immigration for visa extension to allow her to continue to hire her. Her employer also allows her to stay with her residency. It was only until 8 Apr 2019, she was finally allowed to submit visa extension application during her detention at CIC. However, three days later, the immigration Department gave her a Removal Order which she made an appeal against it. The lawyers representing Yuli has been requesting the Immigration Department to issue her “Recognizance” so that she can wait without detained for her visa approval. However, the Immigration Department has rejected the request for issuing recognizance and delays in replies to the questions raised by the lawyers. Yuli is continuously detained. “What Yuli faced is unusual practice of the Immigration Department and probably unlawful. It is clearly a political suppression against Yuli for her writing, for her speaking up for the Hong Kong protesters.” Fish Ip, regional coordinator for International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF).
Yuli has been detained for 28 days until now. On 28 Nov 2019, she was told that her appeal against the Removal Order failed and confirmed that she has to be deported from Hong Kong. Yuli has got cold and sick but only got an unknown pill a day. She has been suffering from vomiting and flu but declined for medical treatment. She does not know she has to be detained until when. On 29 Nov 2019, the immigration officer, SK Cheng, forced Yuli to withdraw her visa application. “The officer said if I don’t want to be detained at CIC, I have to withdraw the visa and then I can go back to Indonesia. But I don’t want to withdraw my visa application. I confronted with the immigration officer for the whole morning until I got too cold and felt sick. In the end, I wrote I withdraw my visa because I am being detained for too long and don’t know when I can go back. Again the officer said I cannot write that because the lawyer will give them troubles. At the end, against my will, I have to write I withdraw the visa, and I will go back to Indonesia to apply for a visa again.” Yuli cried when she was sharing the situation to her friends who visited her.
Yuli hopes the Immigration can treat her in a fair and just way. She wanted to get her visa extended to finish her contract and hope for no more political suppression and detention.
Support group for Yuli – formed by her friends.
