Taiwan migrant workers

Despite demonstrating a strong human rights record, there is still room for Taiwan to improve – especially on migrant workers' rights and refugee law.

Given its thorny geopolitical status, the way Taiwan treats its large population of migrant workers has far-reaching ramifications.

Suppliers of General Motors, Opel, Continental, Bosch, Hella, Magna, and Walmart have repaid over $2.5 million to employees, but still fall short of full reimbursements.

Workers pay the equivalent of three to four years wages at home in Vietnam to get access to jobs abroad at suppliers of major international brands.

The Taiwanese government has not paid sufficient consideration to migrant workers.

Taiwanese factories, along with one county government, are implementing discriminatory policies that prohibit freedom of movement for Southeast Asian workers.

Taiwan’s government has long resisted calls to address systemic labor abuse on its fishing boats, but it is now facing pressure from within.

A coalition held a protest outside Taiwan’s disease control center after several migrant workers said they were illegally terminated after getting sick.

A fire in a Taichung factory took the lives of three Vietnamese workers. Past calls to ban on-site housing for factory workers have been rejected by Taiwan’s labor ministry.

A civic group called for Taiwan to grant amnesty to an estimated 50,000 undocumented workers in the country, citing their fear of reporting COVID-19 symptoms and a workforce shortage.

50 tons of timber worth over $3.3 million were seized in an operation targeting a gang trafficking wood from protected trees, the latest assault on Taiwan’s hated “mountain rats.”