migrant workers – Taiwan Insight

Staying Afloat in the Wave of Zero-Fees Policies: Agreement on Reciprocal Trade and its Impact on the Taiwanese Fishing Industry – Part I

17 August 2026 NGA Shi Yeu

Written by Shao-Yun Chang, Vanny El Rahman, and Beatrice Zani. This article (part 1) examines how the US-Taiwan Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) and its mandatory “zero-fee” recruitment policies impact Taiwan’s fishing industry. While designed to protect foreign migrant workers from predatory debt bondage, the policy places heavy financial strain on small-scale vessel owners already facing declining yields and rising costs. Ultimately, the piece highlights how these sweeping regulations risk driving illicit practices without solving systemic supply-chain issues.

Inside the Story of Indonesian Migrant Workers’ Volunteering in Hualien

31 October 2025 Adrian Chiu

Written by Vanny El Rahman. This article describes the volunteer work of Indonesian migrant workers in Hualien in the aftermath of Typhoon Ragasa. It illustrates the collaboration and organisation of these workers from all over Taiwan, inspired and mobilised by social media. They showed that they can become a reliable partner for the government and local communities.

Gender, Remittances, and Taiwan’s Migrant Worker Financial Ecosystem: Beyond the Numbers

2 September 2025 Adrian Chiu

Written by Renee Te-Jung Chen. This article looks beyond the numbers of Taiwan’s Small-Amount Remittance Services for Foreign Migrant Workers from a gender perspective. It argues that the milestone of becoming the primary remittance channel obscures the gendered patterns in adopting the new platform. It suggests that the collection of sex-aggregated data is necessary.

Toward Antiracist Taiwan: A Short Fieldnote in Studying Racism through Punk and Metal Musical Performances by Indonesian Migrant Workers

3 April 2024 Yu-Chen

Written by Mark Hsiang-Yu Feng. Drawing on field notes on punk and metal musical performances by Indonesian migrant workers in Taiwan, this article reveals racism and stereotypes in the music scene. The author calls for a critical examination of multiculturalism to address the structural inequality and racial hierarchy in Taiwanese society.

Ethnic trolling of Vietnamese and Indian men in the emotional cyberspace in Taiwan

13 March 2024 Adrian Chiu

Written by Isabelle Cockel. This article reviews the case of Nguyen Quoc Phi, an undocumented Vietnamese worker who lost his life to a police constable’s gunshots on 31st August 2017. It reveals the online ethnic trolling of migrant workers and the discrimination they face institutionally.

Envisioning Migrant Worker Policy: Toward Dignity and Well-being

9 February 2024 Yu-Chen

Written by Hang-Tang Chen; translated by Yu-Chen Chuang. Taiwan needs to refine its migrant worker policies to focus not only on labour contributions but also on the well-being and dignity of the workers. Personal stories of migrant workers in this article reveal the necessity for comprehensive policies that address the physical and mental health needs, acknowledging the humanity behind the workforce.

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