Key Takeaways
- Taiwan faces a growing issue with missing migrant workers, especially following the pandemic.
- The National Immigration Agency calls for cross-department collaboration and policy revision to improve migrant workers’ conditions.
- The Ministry of Labor plans to consult with migrant-sending countries on issues of language, recruitment, and working conditions.
- Enhanced tracking and penalty measures aim to curb the illegal labor market.
Taiwan’s missing migrant worker issue has become a pressing challenge for the National Immigration Agency. Recently, the agency emphasized the need for cross-departmental collaboration and strategic management reform. Since early this year, police in Keelung have helped six missing migrant workers surrender, but due to inability to pay fines, three of them went missing again.
The agency focused on improving working conditions and increasing the accountability of employers and recruiting agencies. Taiwan is set to discuss with the Ministry of Labor and representatives from migrant-sending countries on recruitment, language, and salary matters to reduce the outflow of workers to illegal sectors.
Strict border measures during the COVID-19 pandemic led many migrant workers to shift to higher-paid illegal jobs, worsening the situation. Recent amendments to the Immigration Act have strengthened penalties targeting the illegal labor market, although, as the agency clarified, they were not responsible for the rise in missing workers.
Post-pandemic, Taiwan actively works with law enforcement to track and manage migrant workers in strict adherence to legal procedures. Ensuring that inability to pay fines does not impede deportation progress remains a crucial aspect of Taiwan’s immigration policy.
