NIA's search for illicit migrant worker at NTU sparks controversy

Taipei, Aug. 8 (CNA) Students at National Taiwan University (NTU) protested Friday after personnel of the National Immigration Agency (NIA) allegedly disrupted their campus during a search for illegal migrant workers.

According to a statement from the NTU Student Association, the incident occurred at noon Thursday, when several individuals in plain clothes stopped a cyclist outside a student cafeteria on the university's main Taipei campus.

The individuals, who said they were NIA officials but reportedly failed to present any identification, demanded the cyclist's ID number and scanned the person's face without consent, the statement said.

After confirming the cyclist was a Taiwanese national, the individuals reportedly offered no explanation for their actions and turned their attention to a stall in the nearby cafeteria, eventually escorting a kitchen worker off campus.

The student association criticized the officials for not notifying the university in advance or being accompanied by campus staff during the search.

The actions taken, it said, were not an isolated incident but reflected systemic flaws in the agency's enforcement procedures and infringed on fundamental rights.

In response, NTU confirmed that the officials had not informed the school beforehand, as no students were directly involved.

Campus police and staff from the university's Student Safety Center did respond, however, after receiving complaints from students.

The university said it will coordinate with the NIA to ensure that officials report to the school in advance before conducting future operations on campus.

The NIA later issued an apology for disturbing the campus and confirmed that the person taken into custody was a 31-year-old Vietnamese woman.

The agency said the search was carried out jointly with the Taipei Foreign and Disabled Labor Office in response to a public complaint. One NIA officer and three labor office personnel were dispatched on the mission.

The cyclist in question was the son of a food stall owner and attempted to leave the area upon noticing the search, the agency said, stressing that no students were involved in the operation.

The arrested worker will be handed over to the relevant authorities for further processing, according to the NIA.

The Taipei Foreign and Disabled Labor Office said such searches are usually not disclosed in advance. It expressed regret over the disruption caused to the university and pledged to strengthen training to prevent similar incidents in the future.