Taiwan Indian Migrant Workers: The Taiwan government said on Tuesday that the plan to bring Indian migrant laborers will go ahead only when there is demand from local industries and India fulfills the set conditions. The government has made it clear that this scheme will not be implemented if both the conditions are not fulfilled.

Taiwan is currently struggling with the problem of declining birth rate and rapidly increasing elderly population. For this reason, apart from countries like Indonesia and Philippines, it is also exploring options to bring laborers from new countries. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Taipei and New Delhi in February 2024, under which a plan was made to recruit Indian workers in Taiwan.

pilot project plan
Taiwan’s Labor Minister Hung Sun-han had said earlier this month that about 1,000 Indian workers could come to Taiwan this year under the pilot program. However, opposition to this scheme has increased among the political and general public, due to which the government now seems cautious. During a question-and-answer session in Parliament on Tuesday, Labor Minister Hang Sun-han said, “If the demands of the industry and India’s conditions are not met, then the question of bringing workers does not arise.” He also said that security is the first priority of the government. “Security is of utmost importance to us and it is a top priority,” he said in Parliament.

Situation of foreign workers in Taiwan
According to government figures, more than 8.7 lakh foreign laborers are currently working in Taiwan. More than 60% of these people are employed in manufacturing, construction, agriculture and caregiving sectors. This plan has been opposed by the leaders of the main opposition party Kuomintang (KMT). They say that this could pose a threat to the safety of women and children.

Concern about missing workers
KMT MP Wang Hung-Wei said that there are many migrant workers in Taiwan who have lost contact with the administration. He described it as a “black hole” like situation. According to government data, more than 93,000 foreign workers were reported “missing” as of the end of February but are still present in Taiwan. A petition has been filed demanding an indefinite halt to the scheme, which has been signed by more than 42,000 people. At the same time, India’s representative office in Taipei has refused to comment on this matter.