Is that really necessary?
However, employers or employment agency workers who work with overstaying foreign nationals will not be eligible for the rewards, the MOI said.
Pre-empting, of course, all the weasels who work at agencies who were getting ready to retire early by misinforming foreign workers about their visa expiries and then turn them in for the bounty.
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Oh man, give me a couple of weeks visiting the vegetable/fruits/fish markets, farms and processing factories in Yilan and I’ll be able to retire.
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First they offered them amnesty if they turned themselves in. 2000nt fine instead of 10k, no ban, no jail and deportation, just probably deportation.
Now they want their ass OUT
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Is it because the numbers from the amnesty are low?
In the current circumstances, they should expand the amnesty. It makes no sense to have it end this month, when many could not travel out anyway due to C19…
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Yea, overstayers have been given an extremely attractive amnesty option with no ban which means they could return to Taiwan if so desired.
Seems more than fair to now offer rewards.
And important to be able to track people during the virus situation.
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Would you hand yourself in now while you would be unable to travel for say 2 months?
You’d stay at a detention centre/prison waiting for your flight out?
Heard news report couple days ago. They checked IDs outside Taipei station on weekend, found an overstayer from Philippines, took her to the airport and paid for her flight home.
They are even offering to pay for flights home for those that turn themselves in.
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The government appears to be priding itself on its ability to kick people out and keep them out. The problem with the amnesty option is that people dont know when they will be able to re-enter TW, so it makes sense that there might be a fair few number of people overstaying with the hope that they stay long enough until there are fewer restrictions. It’s really unfortunate that the government hasn’t changed policies toward migrant labor. If a migrant worker loses their job in TW, they should have time to search for a new job, not be forced to immediately leave. It inevitably ends up in a chase to catch them overstaying.
This woman both lost her job and turned herself in, they claim they are being benevolent with this program but once she leaves TW, she has no way to get back in. I suppose she can go through the job-seeking process again but it seems redundant and less likely that during a pandemic, employers would be willing to hire and pay for quarantine measures. I’m not sure about any changes to the policies mentioned in the articles below though.
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How about renting out a place to overstayers, charging them rent, then notifying MOI that you have knowledge of overstayers, double whammy!
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How about charging overstayers nt$1000 more than the reward to not turn them in, and then turn them in anyway?
How about just turn in every foreigner you see or meet, and see which ones turn out worth a reward?
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Wonder if cops are going to start showing up at people’s houses just because neighbors called for a reward on any foreigner in the building?
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Carrot and stick.
A lot of illegals work in the countryside as mentioned. Seems would be better to offer them a chance to go legal as farm workers.
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Especially considering shortages like this.
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Is the number to call 1-800-gestapo ?
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Well yes there are more than one side to the thorny questions. Solving one makes another problem come out.
But i do think the current turn yourself in policy is pretty generous.
I met a filippina once in Taipei and she was “illegal” and had been working freelance cleaning houses. Two kids to support back home. Well they caught her eventually and she spent months in detention center (ie Jail) . I lost contact so I don’t know what happened after.
So in todays case she could get forgiven for a small fine, no jail and no re-entry ban. Even as one person mentioned a free flight home. IN that case it is better.
But yes in the sense of continued employment, that is a problem as they can no come back in.
Perhaps better to offer full amnesty, no fine and one year employment freelance visa. This way i think every illegal foreign laborer will sign up. After a year, review.
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And many more would come just to get in the deal.
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They would not because the deal is a one off and people don’t just arrive in Taiwan and work illegally, large majority have been working here already for years and overstay and run away from bad agents and employers.
Previously migrant workers also had a hard stop on employment of six years. Which is a bit silly given many are upskilled and proficient in local language by that time.
Taiwan should really allow long term Migrant workers to settle here and raise families and invest in Taiwan. many of them live and work in towns whose population keeps dropping.
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They can’t get in
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What with the spot checks of SE Asians at Taipei Main Station at weekends, will that stop them meeting there?
Who would want 'Where are your papers?" every weekend?