Taiwanese media have a tendency to employ sensational headlines and exaggerated reporting whenever they publish a story that has to do with new immigrants, and they often pander to the stereotyped view widespread among the Taiwanese public that women who have settled in Taiwan through marriage have the sole purpose of staying here long enough to get Republic of China (ROC) citizenship and the identity card that goes with it. What they don’t talk about is the fact that immigrants through marriage are more likely than Taiwanese women to be victims of domestic violence, and that the families into which these migrants marry are often economically disadvantaged. Immigrant women who apply for protection orders have even been maligned as using it as a crafty shortcut to getting permanent residence in Taiwan.
It is hard for Taiwanese people who have been citizens of this country since the day they were born to appreciate how important a flimsy little identity card can be for a new immigrant. No matter how many years foreign spouses have resided in Taiwan and how many children they have, there are many things that they cannot do until they get an identity card. For example, they can’t get a mobile phone without a Taiwanese guarantor; there is an upper limit on insurance payouts for them; and they can’t even buy a train ticket online. Moreover, marriage migrants who don’t have identity cards cannot sign consent forms for surgical operations for their children or spouse, and if they should be so unfortunate as to become disabled, they are not entitled to a disability handbook or disability benefits and they cannot receive a workers’ pension. Many kinds of social welfare entitlement are strictly dependent on having an ROC identity card, and it goes without saying that without an identity card you have no right to vote or stand for election.
Apart from the everyday inconveniences, marriage migrants who have no identity card are not citizens of the ROC — they are forever foreigners. When a marriage between a Taiwanese and a foreigner breaks down, the foreign partner may have to leave Taiwan. No matter what contributions they may have made to this country or what sacrifices they may have made for their families, foreign spouses whose marriage comes to an end may lose their right to stay here if they don’t have that little identity card.
If foreign citizens want to stay in Taiwan for a long time, they can apply for an alien permanent resident certificate (APRC) rather than citizenship and the ROC identity card that goes with it. However, Taiwan’s permanent residence setup is hollow and insubstantial. Foreign citizens who have obtained permanent residence can continue to reside in Taiwan without getting married and independently of their employment, study or similar status, and it saves them the trouble of having to extend their residence every one to three years. Apart from these advantages, however, having an APRC does not confer any other tangible rights. Since APRC holders are not ROC citizens and do not have citizen’s identity cards, they still do not enjoy the aforementioned citizen’s rights.
Under Taiwan’s existing legal structure, for someone who has not held ROC nationality since birth, obtaining a citizen’s identity card ensures that they can enjoy basic rights and welfare provision. Those who have no ID card have an uncertain status and lack a guarantee of basic rights. The system is set up in such a way that foreign spouses have to try to obtain an identity card to ensure that they can continue to stay in Taiwan and do so with peace of mind. Unfortunately, some families of immigrants’ Taiwanese spouses intentionally keep migrant spouses under their control by not helping them to get an ROC identity card, and this has given rise to many conflicts and misunderstandings.
A great number of people have settled in Taiwan through marriage, and it is about time that the government started viewing them as part of this country. The government should recognize their contribution to Taiwan, cherish the cultural resources they have brought with them and give them the same basic rights that are enjoyed by everyone else.
Taiwan should refer to the ways in which other countries protect immigrants and migrant workers. Those who have obtained permanent residence should be given more basic rights, including basic social rights and welfare, the right to vote in local elections and labor rights protection. If more rights and benefits are awarded to APRC holders, then getting an ROC identity card will no longer be the only practical option for new immigrants, and hopefully they will no longer have to put up with baseless accusations from the press and the public.
Hsia Hsiao-chuan is a professor and the director of the Graduate Institute for Social Transformation Studies at Shih Hsin University. Wu Jiazhen is director of the North Taiwan office of the TransAsia Sisters Association, Taiwan.
Translated by Julian Clegg
On Sunday, 13 new urgent care centers (UCC) officially began operations across the six special municipalities. The purpose of the centers — which are open from 8am to midnight on Sundays and national holidays — is to reduce congestion in hospital emergency rooms, especially during the nine-day Lunar New Year holiday next year. It remains to be seen how effective these centers would be. For one, it is difficult for people to judge for themselves whether their condition warrants visiting a major hospital or a UCC — long-term public education and health promotions are necessary. Second, many emergency departments acknowledge
Victory in conflict requires mastery of two “balances”: First, the balance of power, and second, the balance of error, or making sure that you do not make the most mistakes, thus helping your enemy’s victory. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has made a decisive and potentially fatal error by making an enemy of the Jewish Nation, centered today in the State of Israel but historically one of the great civilizations extending back at least 3,000 years. Mind you, no Israeli leader has ever publicly declared that “China is our enemy,” but on October 28, 2025, self-described Chinese People’s Armed Police (PAP) propaganda
US President Donald Trump’s seemingly throwaway “Taiwan is Taiwan” statement has been appearing in headlines all over the media. Although it appears to have been made in passing, the comment nevertheless reveals something about Trump’s views and his understanding of Taiwan’s situation. In line with the Taiwan Relations Act, the US and Taiwan enjoy unofficial, but close economic, cultural and national defense ties. They lack official diplomatic relations, but maintain a partnership based on shared democratic values and strategic alignment. Excluding China, Taiwan maintains a level of diplomatic relations, official or otherwise, with many nations worldwide. It can be said that
Lockheed Martin on Tuesday responded to concerns over delayed shipments of F-16V Block 70 jets, saying it had added extra shifts on its production lines to accelerate progress. The Ministry of National Defense on Monday said that delivery of all 66 F-16V Block 70 jets — originally expected by the end of next year — would be pushed back due to production line relocations and global supply chain disruptions. Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said that Taiwan and the US are working to resolve the delays, adding that 50 of the aircraft are in production, with 10 scheduled for flight
RSS