Taiwan to open borders to migrant workers in mid-to-late November: MOL

勞動部：台灣將於11月中下旬開放外籍移工入境

Indonesians likely to be first migrant workers allowed entry to Taiwan


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Labor (MOL) on Thursday (Nov. 4) announced that it expects to begin allowing migrant workers to enter Taiwan at some point between mid-to-late November, with Indonesians poised to be the first wave of migrant workers to be allowed to enter Taiwan after being the first to be banned last year.

During a meeting of the Legislative Yuan's Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee on Wednesday (Nov. 3), Health Minister and CECC head Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) announced that the center had approved a Ministry of Labor (MOL) proposal that enables migrant workers to enter the country, with immediate effect. However, at a press briefing on Thursday (Nov. 4), MOL Workforce Development Agency Director-General Tsai Meng-liang (蔡孟良) explained that approval has not yet been granted for any countries to send their workers to Taiwan.

Tsai said that the ministry expects to first conduct talks with Indonesia next week. He said Indonesia is "particularly active" in working closely with Taiwan meeting its epidemic prevention requirements.

Therefore, "there is a good chance" that Taiwan will open up its borders to Indonesian workers first, said Tsai. As for Indonesia's “zero placement fee policy," Tsai said that it would be decoupled from the current reopening of entry because many workers who would be entering in the first wave were originally recruited under the old policy before Taiwan banned entry to Indonesian workers late last year.

According to Tsai, the MOL will allow migrant workers entry in accordance with a point-based system. Under the new scheme, points will be allotted based on a migrant worker's vaccination status, the COVID situation in their country, and the epidemic prevention plan of their prospective employer.

Tsai said that negations are underway with other countries, but at present, Indonesia "seems to be very well prepared and its case numbers are the lowest," indicating a higher point score for Indonesian workers. He characterized the likelihood of workers from Indonesia being allowed to enter first as "more optimistic."

Due to a serious surge of COVID cases in Indonesia last year, the entry of migrant workers from the country was halted on Dec. 4, 2020. After a spike both in local cases and the continued global pandemic, entry by all migrant workers was suspended on May 19 of this year.

The lifting of the ban on migrant workers may be very short-lived due to an expected influx of 40,000 Taiwanese returning from overseas during the Lunar New Year holiday. On Wednesday, Chen said the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) has already recommended to the MOL that the entry of migrant workers be restricted from Dec. 14 to Feb. 14 or that the ban be reimposed.