The ban on foreign workers in Taiwan due to runaways and frequent complaints against employers is neither plausible nor practical. Some 5,000 runaways per month is a very large number and certainly costs those affected adversely enormous sums of money.
My wife tells me the Chinese mindset would not accept the use of lie detectors but it is a practical and readily available potential solution to the problem.
Asking visa applicants questions such as: "will you run away?" and "do you plan to complain about your employer?" will yield a potential group of liars who would fall into these categories.
Deny visas to those who fail the test for a test period of time, and comparing the number of new runaways during that period would show whether the use of lie detectors was helpful in stemming the tide.
The burden of testing could be placed upon agencies soliciting workers in the countries with the highest incidence of problems. ROC officials could require bona fide testers recommended by law enforcement professionals in countries that use this technology frequently.
Bill Parkhurst
Taichung, Taiwan
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