A SHANGHAI court has given a domestic help service agent an eight-year prison term after finding her guilty of organizing stowaways from the Philippines to China.

The Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate People’s Court said the owner of the domestic help service agency firm, who was only identified by surname as Liu, had organized 24 Filipino maids holding 14-day tourist visas or under transit visa exemption to work for Chinese employers.

The court said Liu’s firm introduced the maids to enter China via the ports of Qingdao, Guangzhou and Shanghai from February to September 2017, and dispatched them to employers in the cities of Beijing, Chengdu and Xi’an.

Liu confessed to the court that the firm made 350,000 yuan (US$51,400) in profit from the business.

In addition to the prison term, the court deprived her of her political rights for two years and fined her 200,000 yuan.

There is a growing demand for foreign household helpers, especially those from the Philippines, who have won a good reputation in Hong Kong.

Cities like Shanghai and Guangzhou have started pilot programs to issue legal work permits to address demand.

(Xinhua)