Migrant Workers Seeking Home in Taiwan Call for End of Employment Term Limits

TaiwanPlus News

Migrant workers marched through Taipei on Sunday, calling to abolish the work-year limit. Under current laws, migrant workers can only stay in Taiwan up to 12 years. Many feel taken for granted after working and living in the country for over a decade, creating communities and dreaming of bringing their families over.

Transcript

00:00Releasing their pent-up frustrations,

00:09these migrant workers throw bomb-shaped paper lanterns

00:12at Taiwan's Legislative Yuan.

00:14They say these fake bombs represent the constant pressure

00:17that's been building up on their backs,

00:19as their time in Taiwan slowly ticks down due to the work year limit,

00:24a rule that only allows blue-collar workers

00:27to stay in the country for up to 12 years,

00:30or 14 for those working as caregivers.

00:33They're also only allowed to work on contracts of up to three years,

00:37meaning they often face uncertainty about continuing employment.

00:41And they want to get rid of this work year limit.

00:52At a rally in Taipei on Sunday,

00:54hundreds of migrant workers and labor rights activists

00:57have come out to demand fair treatment for these essential workers.

01:00We are not that foreign.

01:03We are not individual.

01:05We are workers, and we deserve the same BDD in everyone.

01:12There are over 800,000 migrant workers in Taiwan,

01:15mostly from Southeast Asia,

01:17working in jobs like caregiving, manufacturing, and agriculture

01:21that support Taiwan's rapidly aging population and major industries.

01:25While these migrants came to Taiwan looking for temporary work,

01:28many say they've come to call the place home,

01:30and they're hoping that the government can make friendlier policies

01:33that allow them to settle here long term.

01:36Kristi, a caregiver from Indonesia who's worked in Taiwan for two years,

01:40says she hopes to bring her family over if immigration policies change.

01:44Yeah, because I have the family in Indonesia,

01:47and my kids have studied for a long time now at the elementary school

01:54and junior high school.

01:57But one day, we want to come to Taiwan for study to the campus

02:04and come together with me in Taiwan, living in Taiwan for working and study.

02:11Ignace, also from Indonesia, has worked in Taiwan for 11 years

02:15and is set to leave next year under current rules.

02:19Ignace, also from Indonesia Grand- Could你 wal- Dang bi-

02:24We are here with our friends, both from migrant workers or local communities,

02:30and we already have a strong coordination.

02:33It's not easy to leave or forget it.

02:39Some attendees also put themselves on display a bit more directly at the rally

02:43by dressing up as meat at a supermarket, labeled fresh until an expiration date was slapped on them.

02:49The rally spokesperson says that the work year limit prevents Taiwan from keeping the foreign workers they desperately need.

02:56We know that Taiwan's lack of staff needs people.

03:01Why don't we continue to leave the skilled workers,

03:04and continue to leave the foreign workers from abroad?

03:08This is not a good way for Taiwan to leave the skilled workers.

03:14White-collar workers can achieve permanent residency in Taiwan only after five years of work.

03:19In response to the rally, the Ministry of Labor said that blue-collar migrant workers can apply for intermediate skilled status,

03:26which does not have restrictions on how long they can work in Taiwan.

03:30But for many, they feel their years-long dedication and contributions to Taiwan's society

03:35should already be enough to let them stay in the place they now call home.

03:40Klein Wang and Tiffany Wang in Taipei for Taiwan Plus.

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