Taiwan lifts COVID-related entry ban on migrant workers from Indonesia

Taiwan on Thursday announced that it has lifted the COVID-related entry ban on migrant workers from Indonesia. The removal of international border restrictions will allow at least 1,700 labourers and caregivers to Taiwan from Indonesia. The statement came after Indonesia agreed to comply with a series of COVID-19 prevention measures based on the "points system", including a 21-days quarantine on arrival. However, the ban could be reimposed for a two months period beginning from mid-December leading up to next year's Lunar New Year holidays, the Ministry of Labour (MOL) said in a statement.

The decision of new COVID-related border relaxations was announced by MOL official Tsai Meng-Liang, Taiwan News reported. On Wednesday, the Indonesian Ministry of Manpower announced that the removal of the ban will allow the first wave of migrant workers to enter Taiwan from 11-23 November. As per Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) Taiwan, quarantine facilities have been arranged for at least 1,700 people in anticipation of their arrival. While 850 of these workers will be employed in factories and nursing homes, another 850 will work as caregivers, as per the Taiwan Ministry of Manpower.

Taiwan and Indonesia hold online meet on preparations

Taiwanese and Indonesian authorities had held an online meeting on the preparations for opening the borders, MOL Workforce Development Agency head Meng-Liang said during a press briefing on Wednesday. The formal implementation plan will be reported to the CECC and the migrant workers from Indonesia can begin travel as early as this week, Meng-Liang had said.

As per head of the Agency for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian migrant workers (BP2MI), Benny Rhamdani, 12,730 workers have registered to work in Taiwan. The group comprised around 6,204 caregivers, 4,755 factory labourers, and 988 fishery workers.

Meanwhile, the MOL is also in discussions with the governments of Vietnam, Philippines and Thailand to open worker entry, MOL's head of Workforce Development Agency, Tsai said. If the talks are successful, workers from these countries will also be allowed into Taiwan, Meng-Liang said. Moreover, Thailand has expressed willingness to comply with Taiwan's COVID-19 protocols.

Taiwan banned entry for Indonesian migrant workers in December last year after COVID-19 cases took a steep surge in the island nation. Earlier in May, Taipei closed the international border for all migrant workers and foreign nationals. As per Taiwan News, one of the main reasons for the ban were the Indonesian workers were providing fake COVID-19 negative documents on arrival. Since then Taipei has requested Indonesia to consolidate prevention measures against COVID-19, to which the latter pressed for implementation of a "zero placement fee policy," which as per MOL will be revisited after the pandemic is over. 

(Image: AP/ Unsplash)