Labor minister apologizes for comments on Indian migrant workers

Taipei, March 5 (CNA) Labor Minister Hsu Ming-chun (許銘春) apologized Tuesday for her comments on the planned recruitment of Indian migrant workers that have been labeled as "racist" by some Indian news outlets.

Taiwan and India signed a memorandum of understanding on Feb. 16 signaling a willingness to make India a source of Taiwan's migrant workforce.

In an online interview on the plan with talk show host Wang Shih-chih (王時齊) on Feb. 29, Hsu said the ministry will first recruit Indian workers from northeastern India because "their skin color and dietary habits are closer to ours."

In addition, the Indians there are "mostly Christians" who are adept at manufacturing, construction, and farming, Hsu said, explaining that the strategy was based on Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) assessments.

At a legislative hearing Tuesday morning, Hsu apologized for her "inaccurate" comments that caused misunderstanding.

Taiwan's labor policies, whether directed at local or foreign workers, are crafted with equality in mind and are never discriminating, the minister said.

She said she praised Indian workers' abilities and performance in the interview because she had hoped to highlight these attributes, Hsu added.

Hsu's comments drew criticism from Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, who in a video posted on X "strongly condemned" Hsu's comments, arguing that skin color and race should not be criteria for recruiting migrant workers.

In a statement issued late Monday night, the Labor Ministry apologized for Hsu's "inaccurate" choice of words, saying that the minister's comments were not meant to discriminate.

Some Indian news outlets reported on Hsu's remarks after the Labor Ministry issued the apology, with at least one branding them as "racist."

In a statement Tuesday, MOFA also apologized for what it called "not entirely appropriate" narratives by Taiwan's government agencies regarding the planned recruitment of Indian workers that has sparked criticism internationally and domestically.

The plan has been controversial since Bloomberg first reported in November 2023 that "Taiwan could hire as many as 100,000 Indians to work at factories, farms and hospitals."

Hsu denied the report, calling stories related to it "fake news," but she has not put a number on the potential number of migrants who could be brought into Taiwan.

At the time, Hsu urged against discrimination towards specific countries or races.