Foreigners in Taiwan - 外國人在臺灣
  • Home 首頁
  • Blog 部落格
  • Taiwan FAQ 常見問題
  • Blog Index 部落格指南
  • Maps 地圖
  • About 關於我們
  • Contact Us 聯絡我們
  • Privacy 隱私
  • Home 首頁
  • Blog 部落格
  • Taiwan FAQ 常見問題
  • Blog Index 部落格指南
  • Maps 地圖
  • About 關於我們
  • Contact Us 聯絡我們
  • Privacy 隱私

Blog Posts

3 Types of Foreigners in Taiwan 三種外國人在台灣

9/26/2022

5 Comments

 
Share

Tweet
Picture
There are roughly 750,000 legal foreign residents in Taiwan. All of them are individual people with different viewpoints and experiences. As a platform that calls itself "foreigners in Taiwan" we cannot represent every person at once. In fact, we are just Americans living in Taipei. Some people like to separate foreigners into different groups, but it is important to remember there is not just one type of foreigner, there are many of us and all of our voices should be heard.
Unfortunately, most foreigners in Taiwan are working in inhumane conditions, being exploited for cheap labor. Most of their hardships go unseen and unheard.
Statistical Analysis of Foreigners in Taiwan 外国人在台灣的統計分析
Picture
As per the bureau of statistics, of the 750,000 foreign residents in Taiwan, there are about 630,00 migrant workers, 41,916 students, 20,000 household workers, 7,000 teachers, 6,000 unemployed, 5,000 teenagers, 5,000 business people, 2,500 engineers, and  1,500 missionaries.
Of these, about 250,000 are Indonesian, 219,000 are Vietnamese, 144,000 are Filipino, 60,000 are Thai, 21,000 are Malay, 12,000 are Japanese, 9,000 are American, and 30,000 are from other countries. 

Below I will give an overview of the current situation of migrant workers in Taiwan, as well as examples from personal stories of the migrant workers themselves, as well as solutions to the problem.
  • Most foreign migrants work as domestic caretakers, factory workers, or fisherman
  • Foreign migrants are not entitled to the labor standards act, and have wages lower than the standard limited wage in Taiwan
  • Foreign blue collar workers are subject to massive overtime or no rest at all
  • They cannot switch employers at will
  • Many have to pay excessive monthly brokers fees even when the broker provides no service to them
  • Many have been forced into “debt bondage” by their brokers, being forced to pay huge loans to their brokers so that they will not leave their work
  • Most face racial discrimination because of the socioeconomic status of their home country
  • Some are mistaken for illegal immigrants and put in unsanitary prisons
  • Many have been beaten, sexually abused, starved, forbidden contact with the outside, exploited, given less salary than originally agreed upon, or locked inside their residences for extended periods.
As fellow foreigners in Taiwan, we care about other foreigners in Taiwan, no matter what country they are from. This is by no means a comprehensive blog, but only written to raise awareness of this issue. There are countless personal stories from over 600,000 migrant workers in Taiwan and statistics that should be shared. Unfortunately, many of these workers do not have a voice or even basic human rights in Taiwan. We want to give them a voice and hope these people are not forgotten.

Many Taiwanese see Southeast Asians as desirable workers but not desirable citizens. This is due to 
discrimination based on the low socioeconomic status of Southeast Asian countries. Taiwanese people give higher status to countries with stronger economies. Taiwanese value Korea, Japan, and Singapore and mimic their culture, while on the other hand, they look down on poorer countries.

Currently, due to the southbound policy, more and more Southeast Asian tourists are coming to Taiwan, but this is overshadowed by the human rights abuses against Southeast Asian Migrant workers. Currently, there are 
200,000 students in Taiwan with foreign Southeast Asian parents, one in 10. The number of first and second generation immigrants is greater than the indigenous population of Taiwan. However, these students are often discriminated against because their parents speak a foreign language and thus are perceived to do worse in Chinese language and other studies, due to their parent’s poor Chinese and lack of Education.

Before coming to Taiwan, many migrant workers must go through an application process, and if chosen, may be required to pay 
excessive broker fees of up to 14,000 USD or more. These workers also need to pay for training. In order to pay for these fees, many of them need to take out loans from lending companies that are one and the same as the brokers, trapping them in “debt bondage.” Some of these loans have up to 60% annual interest. If they cannot make payments, lending companies and migrant brokers are known to give death threats to the workers and their families.

​Human trafficking happens under the radar in Taiwan through fake marriages, deceitful employment contracts, smuggling, sexual exploitation, and forced labor. Many human trafficking victims are mistaken for illegal immigrants, and are locked away in 
unsanitary prisons with no medical facilities, or deported.

Now I will introduce the three most numerous groups of foreigners in Taiwan. 


1. Migrant Factory Workers  – 工廠的外籍勞動 
Picture
,Migrant factory workers in Taiwan can be some of the best paid, some earning up to 30,000 NT per month or more, but often have to work long hours in dangerous and labor intensive situations. In order to make more money, most workers work long hours of overtime to compensate for a low minimum wage of about 21,000 per month. Many workers put in 4-6 hours of overtime a day, in other words they work 12-16 hour days (the maximum legal work day in Taiwan is 12 hours). It is clear that these workers are being exploited, so that Taiwan can continue to export cheap electronics and other products to other countries. These are not jobs that normal Taiwanese people want to do. 

Recently Taiwan's factories have come under human rights violations against migrant workers during COVID. Many factory workers faced discriminatory and inhumane conditions during the pandemic, including limiting freedom of movement. Some workers were trapped in their dorms for over 30 days in 2021 and not allowed to leave except for work. Many of these workers were cramped inside shared dorms with six people or more. They were also limited on what food they had access to and were limited in doing basic chores like laundry. Many rooms were also dirty and not properly disinfected after having COVID-positive workers stay there. 

Later, the Control Yuan of Taiwan stated that the Miaoli County government used discriminatory measures and violated human rights by ordering migrant factory workers to stay in their dorms for over a month. 

2. Migrant Caregivers 外籍長照
A few years ago a documentary about foreign migrant workers called “I have it maid” (快跑三十六小時) was produced to tell the personal stories of these migrant caregivers. After seeing the film, many Taiwanese people were surprised that the situation was as bad as it is.
The film tells a story about a runaway blue collar worker named Vicky and the filmmakers are advocating her story to try and help her. If you have time, please see the film here on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fq5gkyVlFg

House caregivers have a minimum wage of 17,000 NT a month (which has not changed in seven years), compared to the 26,400 minimum wage for Taiwanese citizens under the labor standards act. Contracts with an employer usually last for 3 years, during which they cannot switch employers. Previously after the contract ended, they were forced to go back to their home country, but thankfully that regulation has been abolished as of this year.

During their time of work, many brokers hold onto the worker’s passports or ARC, preventing the workers from leaving the country as well as other things such as purchasing a phone. Brokers often fine runaways or deport them, even though this is technically illegal. While in their domestic roles, migrant caretakers are often victims of sexual harassment, sexual offenses, and rape. One such case is 
Annie, who was sexually assaulted by all five of her previous employers.
​
​3. Migrant Fisherman 外國漁民:
Picture
Perhaps modern-day slavery is most prevalent in Taiwan’s fishing industry. Migrant fishermen are also not covered by labor standards act standards, are subject to exploitation, and have no set minimum wage. Also, rest time and breaks are only set by a standard contract. Officially there are around 20,000 migrant fishermen, but organizations such as Greenpeace say there could be up to 160,000. Many fishermen are not registered legally, and are not in Taiwan books.
Many fishermen only stay on the boats they work on and never enter Taiwan, or their boats are registered overseas, so it is hard to keep track of these foreign migrant fishermen. The ILO has said that Taiwan's Fisheries Agency's system of management and protection of migrant fishers is "loose and unregulated".

Many fishermen are abused, beaten, cut with hooks, and killed. Once a migrant fisherman dies, the captain has the right to throw the body overboard, getting rid of any evidence of the cause of death. Many migrant fishermen are exploited in this way, such as in this story about 1,000 Cambodian men. They were originally promised 150 USD a month, then only got paid half, were underfed, beaten, and couldn’t communicate with family. For many, their only escape was to jump overboard.

One report found that 19 Taiwanese fishermen were prosecuted for keeping a group of 81 Indonesian fishermen locked in a room around the clock to prevent them from escaping. They were forced to work 48 hours at a time with no breaks and for 300-500 USD a month. Many similar instances have also occurred. 

Most disputes between migrant fisherman and their employers are “hands-off” for the government, which wishes the disputes be solved between the employer and for-profit migrant brokers, who almost always side on behalf of the employer. Often the government will require time cards or pay slips as evidence, which simply don’t exist. Many workers are threatened or even deported for having labor disputes, and many are afraid to talk to the authorities. 

A recent report from Focus Taiwan (Sept. 28, 2022) is quoted as follows ( I quote a large part of the entire article because Focus Taiwan tends to disappear quickly):
"It noted that there are reports of adults forced to work in Taiwan's distant-water fishing fleet, which with over 1,100 vessels is the second-largest in the world, and employs an estimated 35,000 migrant workers.
The workers, mostly from Indonesia and the Philippines, are recruited by agencies that "sometimes deceive workers with false information regarding their wages and the terms of their contracts" and require them to pay recruitment fees and sign debt contracts, the report said.
While on board the vessels, workers' identity documents are often confiscated, and they can spend months at sea without stopping at a port of call, working up to 18-22 hours per day, according to the report."​

Summary of Solutions 解決方案總結:
  • Enact greater punishments on Taiwan human traffic offenders
  • Stop arresting human trafficking victims
  • Abolish the broker system and debt bondage and allow for direct hires
  • Enact new legislation giving foreign blue collar workers basic rights including:
  •  Set rest time between shifts
  •  Days allowed off
  • Minimum wage
  • The ability to change employers at the will of the employee



The slave-like conditions and exploitation of foreign blue collar laborers are a shame to Taiwan. You never hear of any white collar worker runaways because they can change employers at will, but blue collar workers simply can’t. The human rights of blue collar workers need to be brought to white collar level. As fellow foreigners in Taiwan, we should all work together to raise awareness to these workers' situations and personal stories. Perhaps we can help to push new legislation to protect our fellow foreigners. 
Share
5 Comments
Rommel link
9/26/2022 12:38:53 pm

I completely agree on this point of view. Godbless you

Reply
Brad Peng
9/29/2022 01:46:50 am

lol, I cannot stop laughing by reading this article. It is the most hilarious blog I have came across. Firstly, the author is American and according to the statistic he posted in Chinese, there is 0% of hard labour from USA. And I failed to see where the fishermen came into this post as there is also nothing in the statistic he shared.

Secondly, he conveniently left out USA in his article and I quote "This is due to discrimination based on the low socioeconomic status of Southeast Asian countries. Taiwanese people give higher status to countries with stronger economies. Taiwanese value Korea, Japan, and Singapore and mimic their culture, while on the other hand, they look down on poorer countries.". I was not aware that USA is such a poor country as well as has low socioeconomic status... LOL! And I wonder why USA chose Taiwan over China is our country is undermining USA citizens or a country as whole.

Thirdly, no one forced anyone to pay "illegal fee" or "connection fee" of USD 14000 to come work in Taiwan. The same laws and principles would apply to anyone who wish to jump ship to enter USA legally or illegally... or any other countries globally? One has to have respect for immigration law or labour requirements as foreigners. And when working in Taiwan or any other countries (I am a labour broker in the international market), the employers would expect you to perform certain tasks / job requirements and also state the period required to perforrm the your job. If you decide against it during your contract, your work permit would be terminated and you would be deported. No one put a gun against your head and force you to sign on the dotted line on the contract. And then the employer can apply for work permit on your behalf.

Lastly, the authors should compare salary difference in between home country vs Taiwan. I am sure it would give a clear indication as why these foreigners are here. If you look at the statistic of the amount of teachers who are Americans (presumably they are here to teach English)... how much did you earn in USA before you come to Taiwan?

And if your country was so great, why would one want to immigrate to another country? hmm... I cannot see the logic behind this.

And for the authors who are Americans who immigrated from USA to Taiwan but yet complained about the living condition of Taiwan. In fact, that two authors had confirmed that Taiwan is a better country than USA... :)

Reply
Foreigners in Taiwan
9/30/2022 03:18:44 pm

Hi Brad,

"It noted that there are reports of adults forced to work in Taiwan's distant-water fishing fleet, which with over 1,100 vessels is the second-largest in the world, and employs an estimated 35,000 migrant workers."
https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202209290028

Just because we are American doesn't mean we can't comment on the terrible situation for migrant workers in Taiwan. Not all migrant workers are tricked and lied to, but many are.

Reply
Foreigners in Taiwan
9/30/2022 03:22:43 pm

Hi Brad,

The full article here:

Taipei, Sept. 29 (CNA) Taiwanese seafood products were included for the second consecutive time in the "List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor" published by the U.S. Department of Labor on Wednesday.

The updated List of Goods maintains the forced labor designation that Taiwanese seafood first received in the report's previous edition in 2020.

It noted that there are reports of adults forced to work in Taiwan's distant-water fishing fleet, which with over 1,100 vessels is the second-largest in the world, and employs an estimated 35,000 migrant workers.

The workers, mostly from Indonesia and the Philippines, are recruited by agencies that "sometimes deceive workers with false information regarding their wages and the terms of their contracts" and require them to pay recruitment fees and sign debt contracts, the report said.

While on board the vessels, workers' identity documents are often confiscated, and they can spend months at sea without stopping at a port of call, working up to 18-22 hours per day, according to the report.

Workers often "face hunger and dehydration, live in degrading and unhygienic conditions, and are subjected to physical violence or verbal abuse," while being unable to leave the vessel or end their contracts, the report said, adding that many are not paid their promised wages or have food and lodging fees illegally deducted.

In a statement responding to the report, Greenpeace Taiwan said the listing would negatively affect Taiwan's international reputation and its ability to export fish products, due to the growing demand among both consumers and retailers for ethically sourced seafood.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's Fisheries Agency (FA) noted that after its initial inclusion on the list in 2020, it launched a four-year "Action Plan for Fisheries and Human Rights," with the goal of increasing workers' salaries, improving labor conditions, better managing labor brokers, and increasing government oversight.

As a result of the plan, it said, Taiwan has recently made several revisions to the "Regulations on the Authorization and Management of Overseas Employment of Foreign Crew Members," including setting up a formal mechanism for reporting human or labor rights abuses.

The revisions have also raised the minimum monthly salary for workers on distant water fishing vessels from US$450 to US$550, and required that workers be covered under NT$300,000 (US$9,458) health insurance policies and NT$1.5 million life insurance policies, the agency said.

The agency said that earlier this month it updated U.S. officials on its efforts to improve conditions in the industry. While Taiwan's inclusion in the 2022 report is "regrettable," it will continue working to expand labor protections and earn its removal from the list as soon as possible, it added.

Reply
Zachary Shelton link
10/19/2022 10:21:39 am

Improve matter face. Hundred far back loss might along push. Factor total those simple animal pay blue.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

     Author 作家

    We are US Expats that have extensive experience living, working, and travelling in Taiwan. In our day, we had to learn many things about Taiwan the hard way. But we have come to learn that Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for Foreigners to live. ​Our blog does not represent the opinions of every foreigner in Taiwan. We are just trying to help others learn more about this beautiful country.

    ​​我們是在台灣的外國人!我們透過額部落格想要幫助外國人了解台灣生活,旅遊,和商業的環境!我們不代表所有在台灣的外國人, 我們只是想要幫助世界各地的人了解台灣美好的一切! (美國人在管理)

    Archives 檔案

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014

    Categories
    ​類目

    All
    2006120221
    Aboriginal Culture 原住民文化
    Alishan-384633732423665
    Alishan-384633732423665
    Amusement Parks 娛樂園
    Aquariums 海洋館
    Art 藝術
    Basic Info 基本資訊
    Beaches 海灘
    Blogroll 部落格名單
    Bridges 橋梁
    Buddhism 佛教
    Buddhism 佛教
    Business 商業
    Business 商業
    Camping 露營
    Car Driving Test 考汽車駕照
    Car Rental 租氣車
    Caves 山洞
    Changhua 彰化
    Chiayi 嘉義
    Children Activities 小孩活動
    Chinese Film 中文電影
    Chinese Language 中文
    Chinese Language 中文
    Chinese Literature 中文文學
    Chinese Literature 中文文學
    Chinese Pollution 中國污染
    City Parks 都市公園
    Click Bait 點擊誘餌
    Coal Mining 煤礦
    Cycling 騎腳踏車
    Cycling 騎腳踏車
    Daily Life 日常生活
    Daoism 道教
    Driving In Taiwan 開車
    Drone Flying 飛空拍機
    East Taiwan 東部
    Ershui 二水
    Events 活動
    Festivals 節日
    Fish Foot Massage 溫泉魚
    Floral Sea 花海
    Food
    Food 食物
    Forts 堡壘
    Fruit 水果
    Geography 地理
    Geography 地理
    Geology 地質
    Golf 高爾夫球
    Green Energy 綠色能源
    Growing Bananas 種香蕉日記
    Guest Blog Posts 客人部落格
    Hakka Culture 客家文化
    Hiking
    Hiking 爬山
    Historical Buildings 歷史建築
    Historical Buildings 歷史建築
    Hot Springs 溫泉
    Hot Springs 溫泉
    Hsinchu 新竹
    Hualien 花蓮
    Immigration/Visa 移民/簽證
    Japanese Era 日治時期
    Jiaoxi 礁溪
    Jiaoxi 礁溪
    Kaohsiung 高雄
    Keelung 基隆
    Kenting 墾丁
    Kinmen 金門
    Lakes And Reservoirs 湖及水庫
    Lighthouses 燈塔
    Longdong 龍洞
    Lukang 鹿港
    Luodong Night Market 羅東夜市
    Maolin 茂林
    Matsu Islands 馬祖列島
    Miaoli 苗栗
    Migrant Workers 外籍勞動
    Monkeys 猴子
    Monkeys 猴子
    Mountain Biking 越野
    Mountain Biking 越野
    Museums 博物館
    Nangang 南港
    Nantou 南投
    National Forest Recreation Areas 國家森林游樂區
    National Palace Museum 故宮
    National Palace Museum 故宮
    National Parks 國家公園
    Natural Scenery 自然風景
    New Taipei 新北市
    Night Market 夜市
    Northern Coast 北海岸
    Not Taiwan 台灣以外的地方
    Nuclear Power 核能
    Nuclear Power 核能
    Offroading 越野
    Old City Gates 古城門
    Old Streets 老街
    Old Trails 古道
    Orchid Island (Lanyu 蘭嶼)
    Outer Islands 外島
    Pathos And Logos 情與理
    Penghu Islands 澎湖群島
    Pingtung 屏東
    Pingxi Railway 平息火車綫
    Politics 政治
    Politics 政治
    Railways 鐵路
    Recreational Farms 休閑農場
    River Tracing 朔溪
    Rock Climbing 攀岩
    Scooter Driving Test 考機車駕照
    Scooter Rental 租機車
    Scooter Rental 租機車
    Seafood Markets 海鮮市場
    Shiding 石碇
    Shilin Night Market 士林夜市
    Shilin Night Market 士林夜市
    Shopping 購物
    Sicao Green Tunnel 四草綠色隧道
    Smokestacks 烟囪
    Snorkeling 浮潛
    Snorkeling 浮潛
    Starting A Taiwan Business 創業
    Starting A Taiwan Business 創業
    Sun Moon Lake 日月潭
    Sun Moon Lake 日月潭
    Surfing 3490928010
    Taichung 臺中
    Tainan 3327421335
    Tainan-3327421335
    Taipei 101 101
    Taipei 101 2148821271 101
    Taipei-101-2148821271-101
    Taipei 2148821271
    Taipei-2148821271
    Taipei Zoo 台北動物園
    Taipei Zoo 台北動物園
    Taipei 臺北
    Taipei 臺北
    Taitung 臺東
    Taiwanese Spouse 台灣配偶
    Taiwan FAQ 臺灣常見問題
    Taiwan History 台灣的歷史
    Taiwan History 台灣的歷史
    Taiwan's Economy 台灣經濟
    Taiwan's Economy 台灣經濟
    Taiwan Temples 臺灣的廟
    Tamsui 淡水
    Taoyuan 桃園
    Taroko Gorge 太魯閣
    Tax 稅
    Top 10 前十名
    Top 10 前十名
    Top 5 前5名
    Transportation 交通
    Tsai Yingwen 蔡英文
    Turtle Island 龜山島
    Turtle Island 龜山島
    Typhoons 颱風
    Ultimate Guide 極限指南
    Urbex 城市探險
    Waterfalls 瀑布
    Weather 天氣
    White Terror 白色恐怖
    Wildlife 野生動物
    Women In Chinese Society 女士們在中國社會
    Working In Taiwan 在台灣工作
    Working In Taiwan 在台灣工作
    Wulai Hot Springs 烏來溫泉
    Xiaoliuqiu 小琉球
    Xitou 溪頭
    Xitou 溪頭
    Xizhi 汐止
    Yangmingshan 陽明山
    Yilan 宜蘭
    Yunlin 雲林
    Yushan (Jade Mt.) 玉山
    Zhongtaishan 中台山
    Zoos 動物園

    RSS Feed

Follow us on social media:


Follow @foreignersinTW