Indonesia’s Ministry of Manpower has appealed to the Taiwanese government to help around 400 Indonesian fishing workers stranded off the coast of Taiwan. Indonesian officials say that the workers’ contracts have ended, but they have no way of returning home. That’s because Taiwan’s COVID-19 border controls prevent them from entering the country, meaning they have no way of boarding a flight back to Indonesia.
Minister Ida Fauziyah appealed to Taiwan’s Representative Office in Indonesia to help during a video conference on Thursday. She says the Indonesian government is extremely concerned about the stranded workers’ physical and mental wellbeing. She is asking Taiwan to allow the workers to enter the country as soon as possible so that they can board a flight home.
Taiwan’s Representative Office in Indonesia says it will report to the central government to seek a swift solution on humanitarian grounds.
Allowing the workers entry into the country would not be a decision without precedent. Sources say that in the latter half of last year, Taiwan made special arrangements to allow 100 Indonesian fishing workers to enter the country. But in December, Taiwan’s authorities officially barred entry to all Indonesian migrant workers over concerns about Indonesia’s pandemic prevention measures. That has made a quick solution to the problem more difficult.