Hong Kong

Permanent Residency Dept: In the ruling in September, a lower court judge found that an immigration provision denying foreign maids the right to apply for permanent residency after seven years -- as other foreign residents can -- was unconstitutional, according to CTV. On the first day of a scheduled three-day hearing, government lawyer David Pannick argued Tuesday that the court's ruling was wrong because it places limits on lawmakers' ability to decide who is eligible to permanently settle in Hong Kong and hONG KONG Hong Kong's government argued Tuesday against a landmark ruling that could let foreign maids gain permanent residency as it appealed a case that has raised concerns about ethnic discrimination and strains on social services. The case has divided Hong Kong, with some arguing that barring maids from applying for residency amounts to ethnic discrimination. Some groups fear the case will result in a massive influx of maids' family members arriving in Hong Kong, putting a strain on the densely populated city's social services and health and education systems, but supporters of the maids say those worries are unfounded. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.