The Hierarchy of Outsiders and Where Domestic Workers Sit in Hong Kong’s Social Order

Domestic workers in Central. Photo: Angelina Qiu, Empower Hong Kong (Lead Photographer)

Hong Kong is often regarded as a globalised and multicultural city; yet, like all international hubs shaped by migration, it quietly places newcomers into an unspoken hierarchy. While some outsiders are framed as professionals and potential future residents, others are treated as temporary labour. Domestic workers, who number around 340,000 (one in ten households employs one), occupy the lowest rung of this social order. They are visible everywhere, yet are rarely positioned as belonging or fully accepted within our society.

Discrimination in Hong Kong is not often expressed through overt antagonism/xenophobia; instead, it is often shown through ideology and expectations. In other words, these attitudes shape perceptions of who can be accepted as part of the social fabric of the city and whose presence remains conditional on their economic function rather than their inclusion in the community. The legal framework itself reinforces this distinction. Unlike most other foreign residents, domestic workers are explicitly excluded from eligibility for permanent residency, even after many years of working in the city. Their visas are also tied to a single employer, meaning that when a contract ends, workers only have a short period to secure new employment before they are forced to leave. These policies suggest that their role is viewed as purely functional rather than civic.

Race and class also intersect within this hierarchy. Most domestic workers come from the Philippines and Indonesia, together making up about 95% of the workforce. In Hong Kong, these nationalities have long been associated with caregiving roles. Over time, this shapes expectations in subtle ways, as assumptions begin to form about whose work is considered skilled and whose is seen as routine/expected. Although these ideas may seem insignificant in isolation, when repeated across thousands of households, they gradually contribute to reinforcing the hierarchy in place.

If this hierarchy is built through policy and perception, then it can also be reshaped through both. One step toward reducing the social and institutional hierarchy that domestic helpers in Hong Kong face would be to reduce the dependence that keeps workers tied to a single employer. Extending the period domestic workers are allowed to remain in Hong Kong while changing jobs could also relieve the pressure placed on them in difficult situations. In the long term, reconsidering the rule that permanently excludes domestic workers from residency would send a powerful signal that their contribution to the city carries more than just economic value. Change must also occur within the home, because this is where the relationship most directly unfolds. Clearer standards for living conditions and stronger enforcement of existing policies, would help establish that domestic work is professional labour deserving of dignity and protection.

Still, policies alone cannot dissolve a social hierarchy - attitudes matter just as much. Because domestic work happens in such close proximity to family life, small shifts in how workers are spoken to and spoken about can gradually change expectations. For readers, simple steps like moving away from the language of resentment or disrespect toward one of mutual respect can help reposition the relationship as one grounded in rights.

Challenging this hierarchy is ultimately about recognising interdependence. Domestic workers are not just a marginal feature of Hong Kong’s success; they are fundamental to the structure that makes everyday life possible in Hong Kong.