Tipping the Balance: Gov’t Opens Doors to Foreign Contract Workers, But Rejects Students Across Borders

Tipping the Balance: Gov’t Opens Doors to Foreign Contract Workers, But Rejects Students Across Borders

United Daily News Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

June 11, 2020

 Translation of an Excerpt

In a military barracks in Kaohsiung City, since June a large group of foreign contract workers moved in, being collectively quarantined, while City Hall did not know anything about it. After being revealed, Kaohsiung City Council members lambasted the central government for introducing foreign contract workers, but keeping the local government in the dark. The city council asks who should be held accountable in case of a gap in the pandemic prevention and control?

There are several questions from the outside world: First, Chen Shi-chung a couple of days ago declared that the risk of entry and exit was still high, so now was not the time to consider lifting border closure. Why did he secretly let in a large group of foreign contract workers? Wasn’t the whole thing a stealth operation? Second, many foreigners and Mainlanders who were in Taiwan for studies or employment have all been barred at the border because of the pandemic situation, not being able to continue their studies or work. In contrast, are they not double standards? Whose interests are the government satisfying? Thirdly, if introducing foreign contract workers is wholly legitimate and in conformity with normal pandemic prevention guidelines, then why should the Central Government act behind the backs of the local competent authorities, proceeding secretly?

Imagine that if foreign contract workers may come to Taiwan, and employers or employment agencies may arrange home quarantine or the government conducts collective quarantine, then why can’t we adopt the same mode for foreign and Mainland students, with the government and schools cooperating by allowing them to return to school after being quarantined and segregated in batches? Who is being benefited by the admission of foreign contract workers? And whose great idea was it to refuse entry of foreign and Mainland students?

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