Indonesian workers are set to arrive in Taiwan after facing a ban on entry for almost a year. Labor Minister Hsu Ming-chun says a group of 11 workers will land in Taiwan on Wednesday to undergo a mandatory three-week quarantine period.
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. Taiwan then extended the ban on entry to all foreign nationals without residency in May of this year.
Labor ministry statistics show that Taiwan has been suffering from a labor shortage since the ban came into force. That’s why authorities decided to lift the ban last week.
According to Hsu, a total of 96 workers have successfully booked a place in a government quarantine center. Hsu says she expects 2,500 workers to arrive before December 15.
On that date, authorities could reimpose restrictions on entry to migrant workers in order to free up quarantine facilities for Taiwanese nationals returning to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
Hsu says authorities will monitor the situation and conduct a rolling review of any entry restrictions.
All migrant workers are required to undergo 14 days of isolation, followed by seven days’ self-health management in a government facility. All costs will be paid by employers or the government.