Runaway Foreign Workers in Taiwan: Causes, Effects and Management

• Main Authors: Chih-wei Chia, 賈志偉
• Other Authors: Jyun-yi Lee
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2014
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/08598738641064540056

碩士 === 國立中正大學 === 戰略暨國際事務研究所 === 102 === The globalization of the labor market has made it possible for many countries to import foreign workers. In 2012, there were as many as 445579 foreign workers in Taiwan, and the figure has raised public concerns about foreign labor affairs. According to the migration theory, economic, political and cultural features make Taiwan an ideal place many foreign workers choose to come. On the demand side, many Taiwanese employers also tend to hire foreign workers. Those foreign workers coming to Taiwan are mostly blue-collar ones. Given that there are tensions between foreign labors and local people from time to time, and that agencies introducing the foreign workers often overcharge the fees, some foreign workers tend to run away from their working places and become illegal workers. It is estimated that in 2012 there were 37177 runaway foreign workers, constituting 8% of the total foreign workers. It is generally held that the runaway foreign workers would become a social problem for Taiwan, as they may disturb the job market as well as cause public order issues. This thesis undertakes a perspective of “human security,” which is advanced by the United Nations to include “economic security,” “food security,” “health and safety,” “environmental security,” “personal security,” “social security” and “political security,” to study the issue of runaway foreign workers in Taiwan. It is suggested that apart from the problems they may cause to the society, runaway foreign workers themselves also suffer from issues of “economic security,” “health security,” “personal security,” and “political security.” They would also bring to themselves and the local communities a variety of problems such as health, ethnic, employment and public order ones. The National Immigration Agency is the main governing body in charge of foreign labors affair in Taiwan, aiming at guarding the rights of foreigners and residents alike. After a brief survey of the current laws and measures regarding runaway foreign workers, the thesis suggests that the concept of “human security” is useful to complement the existing practices, as it also emphasizes the security and rights of the foreign workers and may reduce the number of runaway foreign workers more effectively. It is in so doing that Taiwan’s internal security can be better addressed. Keywords: Human Security, Runaway foreign workers, Migration theory, Migration Management