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Police to build detention center for illegal immigrants

The National Police Administration (NPA) said yesterday it plans to build a new detention center in Hsinchu County's Hsiangshan township to accommodate illegal Chinese immigrants.

At the moment, 1,314 illegal Chinese immigrants -- 410 men and 904 women -- are detained at the Bureau of Immigration's detention centers in Hsinchu, Matsu and Ilan. Moreover, the Coast Guard Administration and police bureaus in various cities and counties around the nation provide shelter for 1,059 illegal Chinese immigrants.

"This means that we have a total of 2,373 illegal Chinese immigrants waiting for repatriation," an NPA official said.

The Hsinchu detention center is the largest, with a capacity to accommodate 700-plus detainees, while the Ilan and Matsu centers have limited capacities.

The official said the NPA will ask the Cabinet to offer funds and manpower to expand the Ilan and and Matsu detention centers' capacities to shelter more female illegal Chinese immigrants.

In addition, he said, the NPA will seek the Cabinet's support for its plan to build a new detention center in Hsiangshan, with a capacity to accommodate at least 2,400 people.

"All these expansion projects are needed to resolve overcrowding at existing detention centers," the official said.

The stream of illegal Chinese immigrants has posed a heavy financial burden and brought about social problems, the official said.

The official said an illegal Chinese immigrant has to stay in Taiwan an average of 180 days before being repatriated.

"The government has to pay for meals, clothing, insurance and medical services for all detainees, in addition to detention centers operational costs and staff salaries," he said.
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