WORLD CRUNCH
Call it Hong Kong’s first reported case of “rich, pregnant and Chinese” trafficking. As more and more wealthy families from the mainland angle to have their children born in Hong Kong, a court in the former British colony has convicted a woman on charges of serving as an intermediary in helping a Chinese woman give birth in Hong Kong, the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reports.
The cross-border traffic has been booming recently for Chinese women to have their delivery in Hong Kong so their child can obtain residency there. But following a recent outcry from locals, the Hong Kong Immigration Department has begun to crack down.
The alleged trafficker, Xu Li of mainland China, was detained this week after crossing into Hong Kong with Li Xiaohuei, a Chinese woman due to give birth. Right after arriving on Hong Kong territory, Li Xiaohuei immediately asked the immigration officer to call an ambulance for her.
As Xu Li was suspected of acting as an agent for arranging Li’s “walk-in” delivery on the island, the Immigration Department detained her and sent her to a local court right away.
According to the accusation, Xu Li has acted as an intermediary since 2010. Her services include accompanying pregnant women to Hong Kong for prenatal examinations, appointments with hospitals, hotel reservations, as well as postnatal care.
The magistrate reprimanded the defendant for acts that endanger the lives of pregnant women and newborn infants, as well as affecting the allocated medical resources in Hong Kong. He noted the public outrage provoked by mainland women besieging the emergency services of Hong Kong hospitals, and disrupting the maternity services available to local women.
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