Labor Minister Chen Hsiung-wen says that Taiwan plans to import Burmese laborers through a pilot program. Chen was speaking at a meeting of the legislature’s committee on social welfare and hygiene Thursday.
During the meeting, legislators discussed an announcement that Indonesia plans to stop sending unskilled laborers overseas in five years’ time. The decision could have a major impact on Taiwan, where Indonesian nationals make up over 40% of the foreign labor force.
Chen told legislators that Burmese authorities have responded positively to the idea of sending Burmese nationals to work in Taiwan. However, Chen said that there are still a number of hurdles to overcome before Taiwan begins importing Burmese workers.
"The most basic problem is that Myanmar and Taiwan don’t have representative offices in each other’s countries. If Burmese workers want to get Taiwanese visas, they’ll have to go to Thailand," said Chen. "The journey from the Burmese countryside to Thailand is a difficult one for a single worker. Overcoming the issue of getting visas to Burmese workers is a big administrative problem."
Chen said that talk of importing Burmese laborers has nothing to do with controversial proposals to use foreign labor in the agricultural sector. However, he also said that Burmese laborers could be among those brought in to do agricultural jobs if the proposal is approved.