2

nd
Asia Pacific Congress on Migration,
Family & Mission
Sept 25-28, 2014

The receiving Church Taiwan
Fr Peter ONeill SSC
Introduction
Pope Francis Apostolic Exhortation
Evangelii Gaudium ()
Mission means working to eliminate the
structural causes of poverty and to
promote the integral development of the
poor. (EG 188)

I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting

and dirty because it has been out on the
streets, rather than a Church which is
unhealthy from being confined and from
clinging to its own security. (EG 49)
Total (Aug 31, 2014) 527,563
Indonesian 223,153 (42.30%)
Vietnam 140,351
(26.60%)
Philippines 104,748
(19.86%)
Thailand 59,304 (11.24%)

Since end of 2003 migrants increased 1.76 times
Female: 58.13% Male: 41.87%

Migrant workers in Taiwan
Manufacturing: 299,030 (56.68%)
Caretakers: 213,023 (40.38%)
Fishers: 9,729 (1.84%)
Construction: 3,663 (0.69%)
Domestic workers: 2,118 (0.40%)
Since 2003 caretakers/domestic workers increased by
78.40%.
In the productive industries increased by 74.00%.
Brief History
October 1989 Council of Labor
Affairs (CLA) opened up Taiwans job
market to migrant workers.
In response to pressure from
employers.

Workers were allowed in to fill the so
called vacancies for which local
workers could not be found.

CLA legalized migrant workers for 14

major construction projects.

At this time there were 100,000 to
200,000 undocumented migrant
workers.

Mainly from Philippines, Thailand,

Indonesia & Malaysia.

Sending governments called on Taiwan
government to assist these workers to
work legally.
Taiwan government refused & offered
amnesty for these workers.
Feb 1991 massive crackdown against
these workers.

Foreign Labor Policy

Oct 1992 Employment Service Act

1992 migrants from Indonesia,
Malaysia, Philippines & Thailand
working in factories, households &
as fishermen.
Nov 1999 Vietnamese workers
arrived.

Jan 2004 Workers from Mongolia
arrived.

Ban on Malaysian & Mongolian
workers.
Taiwan Governments
Migration System
Migrant workers hope:
the laws of the receiving country will
protect their human rights.
they will receive a just wage
safe work place
social benefits
Brokers system
Taiwan government has a very strict
managed migration system.
Migrant workers enter Taiwan through the
brokers system.
1996 workers paid NT$60,000.
1 year contract could extend to 2
nd
year.
1998 2 year contract could extend to 3
rd

year.
Placement fees doubled to NT$120,000
By 2001 workers were paying NT
$150,000-NT$240,000.
Food & Board Policy
Sept 2001 food & board policy maximum
NT$5,000/month.
More than 25% of monthly salary
Brokers service fee policy
Nov 2001 brokers service fee policy.
Over 3 years total NT$60,000.
CLA suggested that the placement fee be
a maximum of 1 month salary.
As of July 1, 2014 minimum wage is NT
$19,273/month.
Placement fees
No sending government follows Taiwan
governments suggested policy.
Vietnamese governments policy
maximum 4,000USD. Workers are paying
7,000USD (NT$210,000) in cash.
Indonesian governments policy NT
$90,000 borrowed from bank. Factory
workers pay an extra NT$75,000 in cash.
Thai governments policy NT$56,000.
Workers are paying NT$65,000 in cash.
Philippine governments policy 1 month
salary plus processing fees total NT
$24,000. Paid in cash.
Extension of contract period
Jan 2002 workers could stay in Taiwan for
a maximum 6 years.
July 2007 increased to 9 years.
Feb 2012 increased to 12 years.
Workers sign a 3 year contract & must
leave Taiwan for 1 day at end of contract.
Worker must pay another placement fee.

Migrant Workers in debt
Taiwan government policy keeps workers
in debt.
Since 2001 minimum wage has increased
by about NT$3,400/month.
NT$122,400 over 3 years.

Vietnamese workers
In 2001 they were paying a placement fee
as high as NT$240,000.
In 2014 they are paying a placement fee of
NT$210,000 plus: brokers service fee NT
$60,000; food & board NT$144,000. Total:
NT$414,000.
Their money for use has decreased by NT
$51,600 over 3 years.
Other nationalities
Indonesians money for use has
decreased by NT$46,600.
Thais remained the same.
Filipinos increased by NT$44,400.
These figures do not take into
consideration the increase in the cost of
living over the last 13 years!
Regulated deductions
3 year gross salary: NT$694,000
Government regulated deductions:
Brokers service fee NT$60,000
Food & board NT$144,000
Health & labor insurance NT$25,200
Tax (5%) NT$31,500
Medical/ARC NT$11,000
Total: NT$271,700. (40% of salary)
Vietnamese worker after paying placement
fee is left with NT$212,300 i.e. NT$5,900
(30% of salary)
It takes a Vietnamese worker 19 months &
Indonesian worker 15 months to pay back
the placement fee.
Caretakers & Domestic
workers
CLA 2012 Report on Protection of the
Rights for Foreign Workers in Taiwan.
All are equal before the law & are entitled
without any discrimination to equal
protection of the law. (UNDHR #7)
Household service workers are not
protected by any law in Taiwan.
Monthly salary NT$15,840 since Oct 1997.
Undocumented workers
Migrants dont have freedom to transfer
employment.
If Vietnamese & Indonesian workers dont
have overtime they are under immense
pressure to pay back placement fee.
2000 4,268 undocumented workers
(ratio of 1.37%)
2013 19,471 undocumented workers
(ratio of 4.19%)
July 2014 45,579 undocumented
workers.
Indonesian 21,521
Vietnamese 20,615
Filipinos 2,460
Thais 983
Victims of trafficking
Many undocumented workers become
victims of sex and labor trafficking.
Many documented Vietnamese caretakers
in nursing homes are victims of trafficking.
They must remain in Taiwan to be a
witness in court for the government.
Taiwan church response to the
plights of the migrant workers
1
st
Pastoral Letter
25
th
year anniversary of the Chinese
Regional Bishops Conference (CRBC)
1
st
Pastoral Letter on the question of
Foreign Workers. (Feb 1989)
It is a part of the mission of the
Church (!) to be the voice of the
voiceless, to be the bridge between
them and the government as well as
their employers.
For the Catholic foreign workers, the
parish is the most appropriate place to
hold their religious and social activities.
For the non-Catholics, it is also an
appropriate place for social activities !
1989 Chinese Regional Bishops
Conference established the Migrant
Workers Concern Desk, Taipei

1994 Taiwan ECMI established

1997 1
st
National Migrants Sunday

Missionary congregations
Prior to 1989 the Jesuits (Taipei),
Scalabrinians (Kaohsiung) and Columbans
(Hsinchu) established centers to assist
migrants.
Since then Columbans, Scalabrinians,
Missionary Society of the Philippines
(Taichung), Maryknoll (Taichung), Paris
Foreign Missionaries (Hualien), Salesians
(Tainan), SVD (Chiayi) helped dioceses to
establish migrant centers.
Taiwan church has established 13 centers
which assist migrant workers.
Priests, sisters & lay people from more
than 15 congregations & lay institutes, as
well as a large number of lay people work
fulltime to assist migrants.
Sept 1998 The Church according to her
tradition considers the pastoral care for
migrant workers as an important service.
Each diocese is to institute a section for
the pastoral care of foreign workers which
will explore ways to improve services to
foreign workers.
2
nd
Pastoral Letter of CRBC
Solidarity, a pastoral service for
foreign workers
Programs & Services
Pastoral services
Social pastoral
lobbying &
advocacy
Crisis intervention
Sheltering
Proactive education
Community
enhancement
Reintegration

Pastoral Services
- Every diocese has Filipino communities.
- Most dioceses have Vietnamese communities.
- Few dioceses have Indonesian communities.
- Hsinchu diocese has a Thai community.
- These communities provide a welcoming
home for migrants, international students,
immigrants & their families.



Faith & personal formation includes:
liturgical celebrations, recollections,
sacramental preparation, prayer groups,
bible study, childrens catechism class,
counseling, ministry & leadership
seminars, BECs, bonding & outreach
activities.

Passion Play

Other faith traditions

We provide space in our churches &
centers for migrants, students &
immigrants of other faith traditions to
practice their religious & cultural festivals.
Ramadan & Indonesian Independence
Day
Vietnamese Lunar New Year
Thai New Year & Kings birthday
2. Socio Pastoral Lobbying &
Advocacy
2004 Erga Migrantes Caritas Christi (The
Love of Christ towards migrants)
One of the important theological & pastoral
findings of the Church is the central position
of the human person and the defense of the
rights of migrants ! (#27)
Pastoral care of migrants means welcome,
respect, protection, promotion and genuine
love of every person in his or her religious &
cultural expressions. (#29)
The Magisterium has also insisted on the
need of policies that effectively guarantee
the rights of all migrants. (#30)
As church we must enter into dialogue
with governments to advocate & lobby for
policies to protect the human rights of
migrants, immigrants & their families.
2004 - Promoting Alliance for the
Household Service Act (PAHSA)
2006 PAHSA became MENT (Migrant
Empowerment Network in Taiwan)
8 catholic centers, 1 protestant center, 1
civil society organization
MENT activities include: migrant rally;
press conferences; congress public
hearings
Taiwan Anti-Trafficking Alliance Watch
founded in 2005. Hsinchu diocese is a
member.
Jan 2009 Human Trafficking Prevention
Act passed in congress.
2008 Hsinchu diocese became member of
Taiwan NGO CEDAW committee.
11 Catholic centers provide counseling &
legal assistance to migrants &
immigrants.
Money matters; sexual & physical abuse;
occupational accidents; forced illegal
work etc.
Network with Legal Aid Foundation for
free lawyer.
Crises Intervention &
Proactive Education
Shelters
- Hsinchu diocese has 5 shelters &
Kaohsiung diocese has 1 shelter
registered with Ministry of Labor (MOL)
- Shelter abused & traumatized migrants
& victims of human trafficking.
- Workers receive counseling, legal aid &
health care etc.
Detention Centers
Migrant centers in Taipei & Hsinchu
dioceses make weekly visits to detention
centers in Sansia (New Taipei City) &
Hsinchu.
Provide counseling & assistance to
migrants.
Organize activities.
Shelter seriously ill or pregnant migrants.
Proactive Education
Education on labor rights, on strategies
to prevent or solve employment related
problems, gender issues, cultural
sensitivity, HIV/AIDS prevention & other
health related issues

Cultural & religious activities

HWC Education Program for Thai
workers since 2006.
Reintegration programs
Community Enhancement
Conclusion
The challenge confronting us in todays
migrations is not an easy one because
many different spheres are involved:
economics, sociology, politics, health,
culture and security. All Christians must
respond to this challenge; it is not just a
matter of good will or the personal
charisma of a few. (EM 3)

Christian communities must embrace
migrants & immigrants from all countries &
faith traditions responding to their pastoral &
social needs.
Welcoming the stranger is thus intrinsic to
the nature of the Church itself & bears
witness to its fidelity to the gospel. (EM 22)
I was a stranger and
you made me
welcome (Mt. 25:35)