Two prominent human rights groups are calling on Taiwan’s government to draw up legislation protecting the rights of refugees. The groups, Taiwan Association for Human Rights and Amnesty Taiwan, were speaking at a press conference on Thursday ahead of World Refugee Day on June 20.
Taiwan’s government has moved to protect the rights of immigrants from certain countries. That includes providing streamlined services for Hong Kong residents arriving in Taiwan.
But Taiwan Association for Human Rights says the lack of a comprehensive asylum law in Taiwan is denying refugees their dignity and freedom. Chairperson Clarence Chou says almost 50 people from twelve countries have requested asylum in Taiwan since 2013, but he says none have “truly” received it.
Amnesty Taiwan’s Executive Director Chiu E-ling says Taiwan hasn’t allocated a budget to provide for asylum seekers’ needs. She also says that there is nowhere they can appeal for help. Chiu says many asylum seekers are forced to live and work illegally due to a lack of documentation.
The two groups are calling on the government to draft a dedicated asylum law and amend the Immigration Act to include a clause on the principle of non-refoulement. Under international human rights law, the non-refoulement principle prohibits governments from deporting people if they would be at risk of harm on return to their country of origin. The groups say the reforms are essential to ensure the principles of international human rights law truly apply to asylum seekers in Taiwan.