MOU caps Indian workers in Taiwan at 1,000 initially: Labor minister

Taipei, June 26 (CNA) The number of Indian migrant workers allowed to work in Taiwan under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two countries will be capped at 1,000 initially, Labor Minister Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) said Wednesday during a legislative committee review.

A small-scale pilot will be first conducted, which will adopt a dual-track direct hiring and labor brokerage system, primarily focusing on the manufacturing industry, Ho said.

While there is no specific timeline for the program, it is likely to take over a year to see results, Ho said.

Ho was responding to inquiries from lawmakers, who voiced no objections to the content of the MOU and subsequently decided to submit it to a full session of the Legislature with additional conditions.

The conditions, raised by both the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the main opposition Kuomintang, included the ministry submitting a more detailed plan for the direct recruitment scheme to the Legislature within three months.

The ministry should also clearly specify the percentage of workers to be brought in by direct hiring, as well as assign or establish a specific authority to supervise related matters, according to lawmakers.

The MOU, signed in February this year, was first reported by Bloomberg in late 2023, triggering widespread backlash in Taiwan.