Taipei, April 19 (CNA) Employers who illegally hire absconded migrant workers will receive a maximum fine of NT$750,000 starting April 20, the Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) , the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) , and the National Police Agency (NPA) announced Wednesday in a joint press conference.
"Undocumented migrant workers have become a critical concern affecting the public order in Taiwan. If employers obey the law and refuse to hire migrant workers who absconded from their legal jobs, we believe the number of unaccounted-for foreign workers and illegal recruitment agencies will gradually decrease, " said CLA Minister Lee Ying-yuan.
First-time offenders will face a maximum fine of NT$750,000, while repeat offenders within a period of five years will receive a sentence of three years or less or a maximum fine of NT$1.2 million, Lee said.
Under the current circumstances, undocumented migrant workers are easily exploited by their employers, for instance by working overtime or without labor insurance, Lee noted. And it is a problem the CLA is very concerned about.
Undocumented migrants workers are encouraged to turn themselves in to the authorities. Those who wish to do so can use toll-free telephone numbers of 0800-885885 (English) , 0800-885995 (Thai) , 0800-885958 (Indonesian) and 0800-017858 (Vietnamese).
The CLA has vowed to streamline the process of returning illegals home to their countries of origin and re-issuing missed passports for migrant workers.