Migrants from Southeast Asia are difficult to integrate into society due to differences in language, religion, diet, customs, and habits, as a result, it is easy to conflict with employers. Southeast Asian migrant workers do not only conflict with their employers, but there is also a lack of communication channels with the public or institutions in Taiwan. These issues cause Taiwanese and Southeast Asian migrants from having a common thought, so the stereotypes deepen over time. After 1990, the Taiwan newspaper media set up a column for the migrants, introducing the methods of managing the migrants, but at the same time, establish the impression of foreign workers: lazy, poor, criminal, and backward. Different nationalities have also been labeled because of their language and education level, such as "Meek Indian Maid" and "Fierce Filipino Maid", but in fact, more Indian Maids have become domestic helpers, and choose to escape because domestic helpers is an unsecured job. The reason for the stereotype is that intermediaries often tell employers that Indonesians workers can require day-offs, which forms a strong dominant image.

 

　　Many migrant workers from Southeast Asia had poor economic conditions before going to Taiwan. Even if they found a job in Taiwan, they often could not save for their savings because of unstable wages. When the contract expires, the savings are not enough to start a business, the only solution for the situation is to leave their homeland again to find work, which forms an endless cycle. The work, scheduling, and salary of migrant workers in Taiwan’s factories apply the Taiwan Labor Standards Law. However, "domestic helpers and care workers" are not applicable to the provisions of the Taiwan Labor Standards Law because their working hours and content are difficult to measure. They agreed upon the contract that was signed with the employers. This creates legal loopholes. Migrants frequently choose to run away due to unequal treatment in the family, overtime hours, and unstable wages. According to the statistics of Industrial and Social Welfare of Foreign Workers from the ministry of labor, by the end of November 2019, the population of foreign workers has already increased up to 718,186 (including Thailand, Philippine, Vietnam, and Indonesia). Furthermore, the population of commiting crime was 2,825 in 2019.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　　Since 1990, the rapid growth of economic development, education quality, the gross national income, and consumption capacity had all improved; resulting in the gradual advanced aging population. The highly developed industry environment causes Taiwan’s main industries to begin moving towards fields such as high technology, finance, and service. Governments were also constructing many public constructions actively; however, these toil positions were relatively unpopular. For instance, blue-collar workers, factory operators, cleaners, and home carers are vital characters to a developed society as well as necessary to generate the giant engine, Taiwan. And therefore, the introduction of low-skilled south east asia migrant workers fulfill the positions of manual labor; which most Taiwanese don’t want to do. Yet, the construction of laws applied to migrant workers were not complete in the early years. Although the law has been amended in recent years to regulate the application of the Labor Standards Law to foreign workers, some intermediaries or employers have still exploited migration in terms of working hours and wages. Most migrant workers come from developing countries or regions, the educational level is not good. So when they face several unequal treatments; because of language barrier, cultural difference or living in a different country, they choose to escape illegally. Specifically, several home carers decide to escape perhaps because the employer is unemployed, they don’t receive the guaranteed salary or protection; they can’t afford their livings and choose to escape from their current job and work as illegal workers. In Taiwan, the law still can not guarantee the protection to migrant worker’s rights when they did not receive the salary they should have. When justice cannot be justified, causing life and work unstable, who will not escape? Who will not break the law?

 

 

　　The rapid growth of the aging population and low birth rate are main issues the society is facing. With the swift decline of the productive population and the prolonged downturn in the economic market, young individuals need more time to earn enough living expenses, which directly cause the failure of care in a family. While the young individuals need to work in order to sustain the family, the elders don’t have relatives to take care of, at this point, migrant workers are urgently to fill the positions of long-term care. Particularly, each foreign individual working in Taiwan should be guaranteed by the law. However, in the past thirty years, Taiwan opened the gate for migrant workers on job and residency certificates were inactive and slow. And the over stringent rules had caused migrant workers to feel irksome, even involving the violation of working rights. Most of foreign workers suffer from communication gaps, incomplete and impartial law regulations, and unfriendly treatments. Which consequently forces many foreign migrant workers to become the society’s wanders and marginal groups. Some of them, which are disadvantage, even become illegal workers, creating more social security and economic issues.

 

 

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