According to Taiwanese media reports, due to the epidemic, it is difficult for foreign workers to enter the country. It has been reported that a smuggler group is operating behind the scenes to collectively lure legal foreign workers to escape and work as illegal workers in various parts of Taiwan. The largest number of foreign workers to escape in history broke out in Penghu. Overnight, 40 foreign workers disappeared collectively. Employers were so anxious that they stamped their feet and called on the authorities to come up with solutions.
According to our understanding, Penghu is surrounded by the sea and has a large demand for foreign workers. In recent years, due to the impact of the epidemic, the importation of foreign workers has encountered difficulties. Finally, after the epidemic subsided this year, the importation of foreign workers resumed. However, last night there were reports of collective escapes of foreign workers from various parts of Penghu, including fishing ports in Xiyu, Baisha, Magong and other places. The number of foreign workers has reached 40, making it the largest collective escape of foreign workers in Penghu's history.
Most of the missing foreign workers are new fishermen. They have been working in Peng for about one month on average. They have just received their salary. Before escaping, they borrow money from their fellow villagers. It is estimated that each person escapes with about NT$150,000 on average. It is suspected that there is a smuggler group behind the scenes. Other foreign workers said they were contacted by smugglers last week. The employer suspects that he escaped and went to Taiwan to work as an illegal worker. There is currently a shortage of workers at many construction sites in Taiwan.
After receiving the news, the police have contacted the Penghu Special Task Force of the Immigration Department to assist in the investigation, and asked the three groups of each police station to help understand the case. It also called on the employer to report to the labor agency company if a foreign migrant worker has been missing for more than three days, and the company will then notify the labor department and the jurisdictional "Immigration Department" special task force and the police foreign affairs science and technology association for tracing.
In response to the largest mass escape of foreign workers in Penghu's history, employers believe that the Taiwan authorities should come up with concrete and feasible ways to prevent it. Penghu mainly relies on sea and air transportation for external transportation. The air transport department should conduct detailed identity checks on the residence permits of foreign workers and prevent the illegal crossing routes by sea freighters from being blocked. In addition, Taiwan's illegal workers should be comprehensively investigated, and the employers of illegal workers should be tightened and laws severely punished.
