The Labor Ministry has asked the Indonesian government to explain a policy change that will require Taiwanese employers to pay for migrant workers’ agency and travel fees.
The Indonesian government announced in July that starting next year, Taiwanese employers will be required to cover all costs that come with hiring a migrant worker from Indonesia. These include training costs, broker fees, airline tickets, health insurance, and passport application fees. Prior to this, migrant workers were required to cover all these fees out of their own pockets.
A group of people with disabilities who employ migrant workers as caregivers gathered in front of the Labor Ministry on Thursday, protesting the policy change. The protestors say that the Indonesian government had not discussed the change with Taiwan at all, instead relying on Indonesian broker agencies to break the news.
Many people with disabilities who employ migrant caregivers in Taiwan are financially disadvantaged. The additional costs the new policy will shift onto them may reach NT$70,000 to NT$100,000 (US$2,385 to US$3,407), a sum that their families might struggle to pay.
The labor ministry says that it has contacted the Indonesian government asking for an explanation for the policy change. This is because a 2013 agreement with Indonesia stipulates that no change should be made to migrant worker policies before a consensus is reached via discussion.