Taipei, June 29 (CNA) The government should show more respect for the basic rights of hundreds of thousands of migrant workers and immigrants in Taiwan, academic and social groups said in a seminar Friday.
The government of Taiwan "sees migrants as potential criminals and the cause of problems, while Canada does not," said Hsia Hsiao-chuan, a professor at Shih-shin University, at the seminar aimed at sharing Canada's experience in migrants' rights and community integration.
There have been a lot of social issues concerning the families of immigrants, namely foreign spouses, and their second-generation members, and social groups desperately need help from the government, said Chang Lai-hou, a representative from the Eden Foundation social welfare group.
Canada is a country of immigrants, which was why it has always paid great attention to its immigration law since 1869, the year the law came into effect, and to maintaining an open and discrimination-free mentality toward immigrants, said Ron MacIntosh, Executive Director of the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei (CTOT).
Both Canada and Taiwan look at immigrants as a way to sustain the economy, but the situations of two countries are different as Canada is a vast land with small population while Taiwan is a small and densely populated country with limited resources, MacIntosh said.
"Canada recognizes the economic contributions of migrant workers. That is its fundamental difference from Taiwan, which sees migrants as potential criminals and the cause of problems, " Hsia said, noting that Taiwan has different treatment for residents and non-residents that is extremely discriminatory.
"In Taiwan, migrant workers are excluded from most laws and regulations. They are not allowed to transfer employers. The government gives the right to employers to mistreat migrant workers under the name of `management of migrant workers', " she added.
"It is difficult for immigrants to apply for residency. There are too many barriers for them to acquire citizenship. And they are not allowed to vote and work. Migrant workers don't have the rights to protest, either," she noted.
Currently, Canada accepts approximately 200,000 immigrants from all over the world annually. Half of those are temporary workers who mostly came from the U.S., Mexico, the Philippines and the Caribbean countries, said Patricia Nicoll, Director of CTOT's Visa and Immigration.
In terms of human trafficking victims, the Canadian government offers Temporary Resident Permits (TRP) , longer term permits and permanent status options to protect the victims' rights.
"What our government needs to understand is that good governance means not only effective border control but also the protection of basic human rights for non-citizens, " Hsia said.