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進入《TAIPEI TIMES》 Migrant worker orientation program has smooth start
Newly arrived migrant domestic helpers and caregivers board a bus provided by the Ministry of Labor at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Labor
/ Staff writer, with CNA
A new “one-stop service” featuring extended pre-employment orientation for newly arriving migrant domestic helpers and caregivers has begun with 60 workers entering the program, the Ministry of Labor said yesterday.
Of the 60 new workers who arrived in the early hours of yesterday after several hours of flight delays, 59 were Indonesian and one was Vietnamese, the ministry’s Workforce Development Agency said in a statement.
Since Sunday, all newly arriving home-based migrant caregivers and domestic helpers are required to undergo a three-day, two-night pre-employment orientation program at a location in Taoyuan or Kaohsiung.
The arriving workers first receive a 30-minute course at the airport to learn about local laws and workers’ rights.
The extended program is part of a new service that significantly shortens the time needed for migrant workers to complete entry registration, obtain work permits and residency cards, and join the National Health Insurance system.
The orientation — conducted in Indonesian, Vietnamese, Filipino and Thai languages — aims to help migrant workers better understand occupational health and safety, labor rights, disease prevention and general working conditions in Taiwan to help them integrate more easily with local society, the agency said.
The two centers — in Taoyuan’s Longtan District （龍潭） and Kaohsiung’s Siaogang District （小港） — provide Wi-Fi to help workers stay in contact with family and friends, and feature reading and recreational areas, including table tennis facilities, the agency said.
An Indonesian worker named Umi said the program was helping her feel happy and safe, as this is her first time in Taiwan.
Having instructors who can speak Indonesian helps her feel at home, she added.
Umi said she was pleased that the cuisine and prayer room at the center met religious needs.
A Vietnamese worker surnamed Nguyen said she wanted to see more of Taiwan after checking in to the center, especially Taipei 101 and Taipei Zoo, and would eventually like to visit Taitung for its scenery.
The program at present only applies to home-based migrant caregivers and domestic helpers.
It is to be expanded to all migrant workers after a period of evaluation, the ministry said.
There were 725,367 migrant workers in Taiwan as of Nov. 30, ministry data showed.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
