為達最佳瀏覽效果,建議使用 Chrome、Firefox 或 Microsoft Edge 的瀏覽器。

請至Edge官網下載 請至FireFox官網下載 請至Google官網下載
晴時多雲

限制級
您即將進入之新聞內容 需滿18歲 方可瀏覽。
根據「電腦網路內容分級處理辦法」修正條文第六條第三款規定,已於網站首頁或各該限制級網頁,依台灣網站分級推廣基金會規定作標示。 台灣網站分級推廣基金會(TICRF)網站:http://www.ticrf.org.tw

《TAIPEI TIMES》 Group urges rights for ‘stateless kids’


Legal Aid Foundation deputy chief executive officer Lin Tsung-hsien speaks at the launch of a book about stateless people’s rights in Taipei on Dec. 28 last year.
Photo: CNA

Legal Aid Foundation deputy chief executive officer Lin Tsung-hsien speaks at the launch of a book about stateless people’s rights in Taipei on Dec. 28 last year. Photo: CNA

2018/02/21 03:00

MIGRANT WORKERS: There are about 1,300 stateless children facing urgent problems, such as lack of access to health and medical services, the Legal Aid Foundation said

By Jason Pan / Staff reporter

Taiwan should amend relevant laws to deal with the issue of “stateless children” born to migrant workers, a legal expert said yesterday, citing hundreds of undocumented children born in the nation annually.

These children face obstacles in receiving education and healthcare, and are being deprived of their basic rights, Legal Aid Foundation deputy chief executive officer Lin Tsung-hsien (林聰賢) told a seminar in Taipei.

“On average, 700 babies are born to migrant workers in Taiwan each year. About one-quarter of them are unable to register and obtain residency status, because their parents are foreigners on work contracts for a few years only,” Lin said.

“About 1,300 of these children are stateless and some of them have no place to live, while others are cared for by single parents. They face urgent problems, including lack of access to health and medical services,” he said, citing data provided by Harmony Home Association.

Harmony Home is a nonprofit organization that offers shelter and services to migrant workers in need and their children, as well as provides care and support to people living with HIV/AIDS.

Speaking from his experience working with the foundation to assist a number of “stateless children” cases, Lin said that when these children grow up, they have no citizenship and face obstacles in gaining access to social services, enrolling in schools or finding legal work opportunities.

“We find that these children are dealt with on a case-by-case basis. As their numbers are increasing, we urge the government to establish a set of standards to handle all of these cases as a whole and work to amend relevant laws,” Lin said.

It is a growing problem, because of the rising number of migrant workers coming to Taiwan in recent years, he said.

The proliferation of new communications technology and social networking apps for people to meet up has also contributed to an increase in the birth of more stateless children.

As of May last year, the nation had a total of 647,915 migrant workers, up from 551,596 in 2014, 587,940 in 2015 and 624,768 in 2016, Ministry of Labor statistics showed.

Lin said he understands why the government handles the issue on a case-by-base basis, but it is time-consuming and problematic, as it deprives stateless children of their rights.

“Taiwan is a multicultural society, and we should open up to accept people of different cultures. We should not close our eyes to this problem,” Lin said. “Some of these children might live in Taiwan their whole lives, and they have should basic human rights as well.”

Dealing with one or two of these cases might not seem much, “but when you are talking about hundreds and thousands of these cases, then this will cause a really big problem for our society,” Lin said.

新聞來源:TAIPEI TIMES

不用抽 不用搶 現在用APP看新聞 保證天天中獎  點我下載APP  按我看活動辦法

焦點今日熱門

2024春節專區

看更多!請加入自由時報粉絲團

網友回應

此網頁已閒置超過5分鐘,請點擊透明黑底或右下角 X 鈕。