Control Yuan Issues Corrective Measures against Cabinet for Violating Human Rights of Kids from Overstaying Foreign Workers

Control Yuan Issues Corrective Measures against Cabinet for Violating Human Rights of Kids from Overstaying Foreign Workers

Source: UDN

November 20, 2019

According to an exclusive news story carried by the United Daily News a few days ago, overstaying foreign female workers and their children formed a village in a remote mountainous area in an attempt to avoid being detected or arrested. After a probe into the case, the Control Yuan (CY) yesterday issued corrective measures against the Cabinet, National Immigration Agency (NIA) under the Interior Ministry, and Labor Ministry for not dealing appropriately with identities of those babies who were delivered in Taiwan by foreign workers.

Wang Yu-ling (王幼玲), a CY member, pointed out that our Nationality Act adopted the principle of “Jus Sanguinis,” so babies delivered in Taiwan by foreign workers would not have ROC nationality, adding that they could apply for alien resident certificates from the NIA; however, for those babies whose parents were overstaying foreigners would not be eligible to apply for our alien resident certificates, so they reasonably would not be covered by our national health insurance program.

Wang Mei-yu (王美玉), another CY member taking charge of this case, said that our current laws and regulations concerning pregnancy and delivery among foreign workers in Taiwan failed to meet the object and purpose of international covenants, so the Cabinet should step up to conduct a cross-ministerial meeting to resolve the problem. Moreover, according to Wang Mei-yu, the Cabinet should proactively help the Harmony Home Association (關愛之家) in Taipei City to legitimatize its status, because the Association offered so much help to foreign workers, adding that additionally, the Cabinet should continue to pay more attention to the Association’s subsequent operations.

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