The Ministry of Labor is working to solve Taiwan’s ongoing shortage of migrant workers. Labor Minister Hsu Ming-chun says she has held discussions with other ministries and hopes that Taiwan will be able to lift its entry ban on Indonesian workers soon.
In December last year, authorities banned entry to migrant workers from Indonesia in response to a rapid rise in Indonesia’s COVID-19 case numbers.
According to labor ministry statistics, the total number of migrant workers in Taiwan dropped below 700,000 for the first time in almost a year this July. Figures for August show the number continuing to fall.
Hsu says the government is balancing the two tasks of keeping the country safe from COVID-19 and addressing the needs of Taiwan’s domestic industries. She says she hopes that Taiwan will be able to loosen restrictions on entry at an appropriate time.
Meanwhile, labor ministry official Tsai Meng-liang says authorities have not yet ironed out the details of the plan to allow entry to migrant workers. Those details include PCR testing before entry and ensuring workers carry out seven days’ self-health management after the mandatory quarantine period.