Labor Ministry mulls guidelines on rights of pregnant migrant workers

Taipei, March 20 (CNA) The government is formulating guidelines to protect the rights of pregnant migrant workers, Labor Minister Hsu Ming-chun (許銘春) said Wednesday amid news that the infant child of an unaccounted-for migrant worker is believed to have died from the norovirus on March 15.

The guidelines are being drawn up by the ministry's Workforce Development Agency and will cover the rights of pregnant migrant workers and their employers, Hsu told reporters on the sidelines of a legislative hearing.

The deceased child was the six-month-old son of two unaccounted-for Indonesian migrant workers. The baby was taken to a clinic and seen by a doctor after being placed with a non-profit shelter in Taipei where he suffered from diarrhea, according to local media reports.

The boy's condition worsened rapidly thereafter and he died shortly after returning to the shelter, according to local media reports.

The Taipei District Prosecutors' Office is investigating the incident to determine whether any party should be held legally liable for the child's death.

Issues relating to the children of absconded migrant workers potentially involve the children of non-Republic of China (Taiwan) nationality born to migrant workers who are illegally staying in Taiwan, Hsu said.

As such children require medical assistance, settlement, vaccination, and other resources, taking care of them falls under different agencies but is streamlined by the Health Ministry, Hsu said.

The Labor Ministry is in charge of the placement of the undocumented children of migrant workers, while the Interior Ministry is responsible for determining the nationality of such children and providing them and their parents with shelter, and the Health Ministry ensures they receive any necessary medical assistance and vaccinations, Hsu explained.

KMT Legislator Wang Yu-min (王育敏) said during the legislative hearing that the government should introduce a rule to "pardon" unaccounted-for migrant workers with children, to allow their children to receive medical attention without the parents having to worry about being deported, just as undocumented migrant workers were allowed to receive vaccination shots against COVID-19 during the pandemic without being reported to the authorities.

Wang also asked the Health Ministry to tender a motion during an upcoming Cabinet meeting suggesting the establishment of a permanent body to identify the undocumented children of migrant workers.

According to Deputy Health Minister Lee Li-feng (李麗芬), that task is currently handled by an ad-hoc body headed by two ministers without portfolio and involves several Cabinet-level agencies.