Taiwanese legal scholar Lin Chia-ho (林佳和) says Taiwan needs to reassess its laws on migrant workers' rights. He said this at a migrant workers' rights panel on Wednesday. The panel included scholars, local non-profits, and government officials and aimed to reconcile Taiwan's migrant workers' rights with international human rights treaties.
Lin says workers' rights are currently caught in a conflict between international human rights and Taiwan's constitutional law. He says certain actions are legal under Taiwan's constitution but illegal according to international human rights treaties.
To illustrate the point, Lin says Taiwan's law allows for migrant workers to determine their own residency. But most workers choose to enter contracts with their employers because the employers will prepare and pay for their living expenses. This situation creates a loophole for human rights violations.
Lin adds that changes will be difficult, because the situation implies Taiwan must change its constitution.