Today at the National Immigration Agency's (NIA) showcase of its pilot program to cultivate the abilities of second-generation immigrants, Premier Mao Chi-kuo lauded the results the program has garnered thus far and said the government should do even more to cultivate the abilities of immigrants' children.
Mao congratulated the program participants honored at the event. "During the presentation, new immigrants displayed their energy, confidence and pride, which the government is glad to see," he said. He also expressed agreement with the honorees' suggestion that during the process of multi-cultural exchanges, attention should be paid not only to differences but also to harmonization. He thus advised that to facilitate mutual understanding and respect, in the future the children of native Taiwanese should also be invited to activities of this kind in order to share experiences with second-generation immigrants.
The NIA stated that the pilot program encouraged immigrant families to return to the parents' native countries and spend two weeks with grandparents to learn their elders' native language and culture. Business tours for those aiming to become trade professionals as well as cultural exchanges were also held. A total of 132 applications for the program were received, and 97 applicants in 43 groups were selected to participate. Each participant was subsidized up to NT$30,000 (US$926.21) and upon the completion of the program shared his or her learning experiences.
Premier Mao expressed hope that relevant activities can be expanded to include students from every level of education. He also emphasized the importance of second-generation immigrants learning their parents' languages. "Considering that many new immigrants are from Southeast Asia, which has close economic and trade relations with Taiwan, if the children of our new immigrants can master their mother tongues they can contribute greatly to expanding Taiwan's trade with the region," he said.
It is imperative to offer more care and assistance to immigrants, as they are crucial to Taiwan's future, Mao affirmed. As such, the Executive Yuan in June of this year established a Cabinet-level board to coordinate affairs concerning Taiwan's immigrant population. The platform is intended to integrate resources to facilitate better care of new immigrants and their children.
The government had used a Foreign Spouse Assistance Fund to help spouses from foreign countries as well as mainland China. To extend the coverage to their offspring, the fund has been renamed the New Immigrants Development Fund, and its annual funding scale of NT$1 billion (US$30.87 million) has been maintained. The government aspires to offer extensive care, assistance and empowerment to new immigrants and their children to bolster their advantages and development.