A video showing a foreign caregiver giving birth alone in a room has gone viral, sparking widespread concern in Taiwan. Upon further investigation, it was determined that a family in Hsinchu City employed the worker.
Hsinchu City’s Labor Department said on Wednesday that it was notified of the situation on October 7. The manpower agency responsible for the worker reported that the mother plans to take her child back to Indonesia. Both the worker and her employer have agreed to arrange for her early departure because she cannot adequately care for her child in Taiwan. The Labor Department added that under existing regulations, the worker has the option to return to work in Taiwan if she later chooses to do so.
Taoyuan City’s Domestic Caretaker Union Secretary-General Grace Huang (黃姿華) pointed out the vulnerable position of pregnant migrant workers. She said only labor authorities have access to a worker’s contact information and urged the government to engage directly with migrant workers rather than relying on intermediaries to convey their rights. Huang also condemned the sharing of the video as a serious invasion of privacy. She called on the government to address the lack of privacy for caregivers and advocate for the protection of migrant workers’ rights.