By Lorna Kung

December 18th is an important day for almost 20 million migrant workers/immigrants around the world. On this day, the UN adopted “the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.” Here in Taiwan, also in December, we have more than a thousand migrant workers migrant workers/immigrants in a demonstration, requesting Taiwan government to provide underprivileged families the respite services, and caregivers should enjoy the right to leisure. Yet, on the same day, news reported that college students assaulted migrant workers out of discrimination. Now, three hundred and sixty thousand migrant works and three hundred and ninety thousand marriage immigrants are challenging the fragile multi-racial identification in Taiwan. The issue of migrant workers/immigrants is always a yardstick of how a society treats the minorities. Immigrants and migrant workers are vulnerable to discrimination, which often goes unexamined when the exclusion is structural, and systematic.

For example, Taiwan government’s policy of reactive instead of proactive social benefits makes it impossible for families in need of immigrant laborers to take advantage of respite services, which leads to greater dependence on and exploitation of foreign caregivers from their employers. Another example is Taiwan government’s new policy that allows employers to raise the limit of migrant workers’ costs of living, which results in depreciation of migrant labor in the market.

On the other hand, marriage interviews are so strict that every marriage immigrant seems a suspect of fake marriages. All of the above examples are the causes of discrimination and exclusion of migrant workers/immigrants in the present society. If our government does not take the issue of migrant workers/immigrants seriously and take action in time, the incident of migrant workers being beaten by college students in Hsinchu will not be an isolated case. Racial issue may become a serious social problem in the long run.

However, if we carefully read through related international conventions, we will find details like equal pay for equal work irrespective of nationality, the right of assembly and association for migrant workers, rights of family reunion, human rights for illegal migrant workers, and admission of immigrant’s duel citizenship. The working condition of migrant workers in Taiwan is far more dire in comparison with workers internationally, and the discrimination of marriage immigrants is unattenuated. Not to mention some basic human rights, such as the right for family reunion and admission of duel citizenship, which are likely to be regarded as heresies by local conservatives.

Though nationalism has make its way back in some member states of the EU, most EU countries still pays respect to the human rights of migrant workers and marriage immigrants. “Social integration” has become the principle immigrant policy of those member states. As we know, election is the ultimate expression of civil rights. The EU has made an open appeal to its members that marriage immigrants should enjoy political rights, and migrant workers who take up residence in the country can possess the rights of local political involvement. Cities like Rome have motioned that foreigners who have take up residence in the city for more than six months will obtain voting rights, and foreigners can send their own representative to City Council.

By others’ faults, wise men correct their own. While Taiwan government plays up the issue of getting a seat in the UN, it is also very important that we examine the migrant workers/immigrants policies of our country. As immigration (either migrant workers or marriage immigrants) becomes a global trend for people to improve their living quality, Taiwan should take a close look at the way we treat migrant workers/immigrants. New vision and new policies are not impossible. If we turn a deaf ear to the cry for human rights of migrant workers/immigrants, Taiwan will pay for it someday. December 18th is International Migrant’s Day. Taiwan must not hesitate to honor the rights of migrant workers/immigrants.

(The author is Consultant of Taiwan International Workers Association and Executive of Scalabrini International Migration Network--Taiwan)