NIA stops 124 Chinese nationals from visiting Taiwan using forged documents

Taipei, Dec. 26 (CNA) The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said Thursday it had caught 124 people attempting to use forged documents to visit Taiwan since allowing Chinese nationals based overseas to apply for entry permits in September last year.

The NIA's revelation comes after unnamed immigration officials and travel agency workers cited in a CNA report Wednesday said that Chinese entry permit applicants had submitted forged documents showing they were students in Malaysia.

After closing its borders to Chinese tourists on Jan. 22, 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan began allowing those living or studying outside of China to enter from a third country on Sept. 1, 2023.

In a news release, the NIA said that its officials stationed abroad had beefed up screening and inspection processes for Chinese entry permit applicants since restrictions were eased.

NIA customs officials in Taiwan have also conducted in-depth interviews with all Chinese arrivals from third countries, the agency added.

In addition, the NIA said it has been working with prosecutors and police to crack down on criminal groups helping Chinese and foreign nationals enter Taiwan using forged documents.

Under the Regulations Governing the Approval of People of the Mainland Area Visiting Taiwan for Purposes of Tourism, Chinese nationals caught using forged documents to enter Taiwan can be banned from applying for an entry permit for a maximum of five years, the NIA warned.

Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑), deputy head and spokesperson of the Mainland Affairs Council, told a news conference that authorities would implement measures to prevent such cases in the future, particularly as some individuals applying with falsified documents might have "ulterior motives" for visiting Taiwan.

According to Liang, around 134,000 Chinese nationals living or studying in a third country applied for tourism entry permits between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30 this year, 98,000 of whom visited Taiwan.