00:02Just weeks after President Lai Qingde visited Taiwan's long-term African ally Eswatini,
00:09the foreign ministry says the two countries' friendship may extend to labor importation.
00:14Foreign Minister Lin Jialong has discussed the possibility with the African country,
00:18and a labor ministry delegation is currently in Eswatini,
00:22visiting three career training centers there until Saturday.
00:25But officials are giving no promises.
00:41The potential policy comes as officials push forward a project to welcome Indian factory workers by the end of this
00:48year,
00:48though the plan has faced backlash from critics who describe it as a hasty policy decision that ignores cultural differences.
00:55But some said expanding labor sources can help some of Taiwan's local industries
01:00that are facing labor shortages, as well as promote international exchanges.
01:19Some on the streets of Taipei also support inviting migrant workers to boost the country's workforce,
01:25but say workers at home should still be prioritized.
01:28Actually, I think that Taiwanese people are very powerful and powerful.
01:32So if you can divide by some people in the middle of the country,
01:37or from India, I think it seems to have影響 a lot of impact on our own local workers.
01:44Whether it's Vietnam or Philippines, I think Taiwan should be quite welcome.
02:02As of this April, Taiwan is home to over 800,000 migrant workers,
02:07mostly from four Southeast Asian countries, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Thailand.
02:13They mostly work in domestic care services, manufacturing, and fishing.
02:18Indian workers are expected to work in manufacturing,
02:21whereas officials have not yet confirmed what sectors as Swatini workers may be employed.
02:26One labor rights group in Taipei warns that Taiwan still has many long-standing problems
02:31in its migrant worker policies, citing some forced labor cases in the past.
02:36They urge the government to improve workplace conditions
02:39and decide what kind of labor the country truly needs before opening its doors to more.
03:06As Taiwan looks beyond Southeast Asia to fill its labor gap,
03:10rights groups say expanding the recruitment pool should be accompanied by stronger protections
03:15and better working conditions.
03:17So opening new doors does not lead to old problems being repeated.
03:21Fu Hua Hong and Irene Lin for Taiwan Plus.
Comments