New Immigrant Law Boosts Services for Foreigners, Excludes Blue-Collar Workers
A new bill that expands the definition of "new immigrants" will mean more services and support for foreign nationals in Taiwan. But the law will not benefit blue-collar migrant workers, mostly from Southeast Asian countries.
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00:00A new law expanding the definition of who can be classified as a new immigrant passed Taiwan's legislature on Tuesday.
00:07It promises a wave of new resources and services for foreigners in Taiwan, but it falls short of full inclusion.
00:14Our reporter Rhys Ayres joins us live in Taipei.
00:17Rhys, can you tell us what this new law means for foreigners here in Taiwan?
00:24Yeah, well it's good news for those who are in Taiwan or looking to come here.
00:29A lot of new resources to help them integrate if they choose to work or settle down in the country.
00:34And it's a big bill passed close to midnight on Tuesday night and voted through by the Kuomintang,
00:41who are the opposition party that hold a majority in the legislature, and supported by the Third Taiwan People's Party.
00:49Let's take a look at what's included in the bill.
00:52There'll be a new government agency set up to handle all issues concerning immigrants in Taiwan.
00:58There'll be family service centers, which will provide counseling and family planning, life adjustment services.
01:05There'll be language programs, employment services, and just generally a greater push for more cultural integration into Taiwanese society.
01:14Now, the aim of this bill is to make Taiwan a more multicultural society, and also to try and bring more immigrants into the country.
01:24Taiwan currently only about 2.5% of the population are classed as new immigrants.
01:30And with an aging society and also a declining population, right now Taiwan really needs the bodies.
01:40Now, Rhys, although the bill does mean that many more foreigners living here in Taiwan, they'll get access to these resources,
01:46there's one particular group of immigrants that are still being left out.
01:51That's right, Eric. While some lawmakers are lauding this bill as being inclusionary, there's actually quite a big hole.
01:59Let's take a look at who's included and who's not.
02:02Now, the new immigrants will be foreign spouses, they'll be the children of immigrants, it will be skilled and white-collar workers,
02:09stateless people, foreigners who invest in Taiwan, but quite notably, it will exclude blue-collar migrant workers.
02:19Now, there are over 700,000 of those in Taiwan, mostly from Southeast Asian countries, and they've been completely left out of this bill.
02:29They actually operate in Taiwan on quite unique visas, which are more limiting than the visas that you might expect to be on if you're a skilled white-collar worker.
02:38And their path to citizenship or residency is much more difficult.
02:45Now, earlier today, I spoke to an NGO who advocates for immigrants in Taiwan,
02:51and they've been part of a movement that have been pushing for those blue-collar migrant workers to be included in this bill.
03:15Now, earlier today, I spoke to an NGO who advocates for immigrants in Taiwan,
03:20and they've been pushing for those blue-collar migrant workers to be included in this bill.
03:25Now, earlier today, I spoke to an NGO who advocates for immigrants in Taiwan,
03:30and they've been pushing for those blue-collar migrant workers to be included in this bill.
03:35Now, earlier today, I spoke to an NGO who advocates for immigrants in Taiwan,
03:41and they've been pushing for those blue-collar migrant workers to be included in this bill.
03:52Now, this kind of exclusion for blue-collar migrant workers isn't unique to Taiwan.
03:58But given how much some of these Southeast Asian workers have contributed to Taiwanese society,
04:04including by helping to build a lot of Taiwan's core infrastructure,
04:08and based on how long some of them have been here, sometimes up to 12 years,
04:12advocates for migrant workers argue that they deserve greater legal protections.