The Executive Yuan will create a Cabinet-level board to coordinate affairs concerning Taiwan's growing immigrant population, Premier Mao Chi-kuo announced today.
After hearing the Ministry of the Interior's (MOI) report on a new service project targeting immigrants and their children, the premier said that protecting the group's rights and interests and developing them into new assets for Taiwan have become pressing issues for the government. The number of recent immigrants to Taiwan—mostly foreign spouses or laborers—has grown to around 500,000, and their children now number over 200,000.
The proposed board will coordinate affairs and integrate resources across government agencies, said Mao. He requested the MOI to quickly draft principles for establishing the board. Minister without Portfolio Hsiao Chia-chi will serve as the board's convener and Executive Yuan Adviser Hsieh Li-kung its executive secretary. A parallel advisory group will also be set up to gather feedback from nongovernmental and nonprofit organizations, enabling the board to better incorporate views from the private sector.
Various agencies were also asked to thoroughly review their measures for guiding and supporting immigrant spouses from mainland China and other countries. The agencies should examine the needs of the different groups and address problems in order of priority, Mao added.
As for analyzing statistics on immigrants, agencies should use the "big data" approach and work closely with one another to formulate appropriate policies for different groups and different factors of growth and decline.
Premier Mao also pointed out the importance of mother tongue education for children of immigrants, particularly at the elementary school level. Mao asked agencies to review the current language education system and to design more flexible ways to pass on the linguistic heritage. He suggested drawing from first-generation immigrants as a good resource for improving the language proficiency of the second generation.
More than 500,000 foreign spouses had immigrated to Taiwan as of the end of March 2015. That is, more than half a million families in Taiwan are living in multi-cultural environments. The government will need a broader approach and more advanced thinking to ensure the proper education and development of these children, the MOI indicated.
Once the proposed board is operational, the MOI hopes the government will be able to conduct better rolling reviews of the assistance measures provided to immigrants. Specific demographic and labor participation databases can also be created. Through improved communications, the board can work with the public to foster a fair and friendly environment for new immigrants and help them achieve their dreams and potential.