Support increased for Taiwan's new immigrants

2016/02/24

Taiwan’s new immigrants are experiencing warmer welcomes and faster integration into society as a result of expanded public sector assimilation programs.

One example was a celebration for migrant families staged Feb. 20 on the sidelines of the 2016 Kaohsiung Lantern Festival. Organized by the ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs Southern Taiwan Office and National Immigration Agency, the event was successfully repeated in cities islandwide in an attempt to involve more new arrivals in Lunar New Year festivities.

David N. Y. Lee, director-general of MOFA’s Southern Taiwan Office, said the event highlights the government’s ongoing commitment to helping Southeast Asian immigrants gain a strong foothold in the local community. “This growing demographic has instilled fresh momentum in Taiwan’s development and brought about positive change in society.”

These sentiments are echoed by various government agencies seeking to enhance Taiwan’s global competitiveness by capitalizing on the potential presented by multicultural and multilingual immigrants.

In early January, the NIA expanded a program developing the abilities and skills of second-generation immigrants, encouraging them to return to their parents’ places of birth for language training and cultural exchange during summer and winter vacations. A total of 89 applicants in 42 groups were selected for the first batch this year, with each participant receiving a subsidy of up to NT$30,000 (US$904).

At the same time, the Ministry of Education is utilizing its New Immigrants Torch Program to help second-generation immigrants take up a foreign-born parent’s native language.

The MOE is enlisting the help of Southeast Asian immigrants in this initiative. An anticipated 2,664 trained teachers will start teaching 3,338 language courses in 2018, spanning Burmese, Indonesian, Khmer, Malay, Tagalog, Thai and Vietnamese.

Other government measures aimed at developing new immigrants range from cultural assimilation to employment and social welfare. A Cabinet-level immigrant affairs coordination task force is overseeing all programs and resource allocations to ensure maximum effectiveness.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=242435&ctNode=2194&mp=9)