Social groups yesterday called for a halt to plans to amend immigration laws, claiming that the proposed amendments will hurt the human rights of foreign spouses, and hinted that they may take to the streets if the government refuses to back down on the issue.
Several social groups including the Awakening Foundation (
The Cabinet had previously said that it hoped the laws would be amended and passed by the end of this month.
The groups said the laws discriminate against foreign spouses and do not protect their human and civil rights.
"We want the department of immigration to be upgraded to a Cabinet-level agency, instead of being placed under the Ministry of Interior," said Hsia Hsiao-chuan (
Hsia said that immigration issues involved not just interior issues, but inter-ministerial issues such as education and economy.
Hsia said the immigration department should not be staffed predominately by police officers, as set out in the draft.
The draft statue says that at least 75 percent of the depart-ment's employees should be police officers.
Hsia said this reflects the government's negative attitude -- that immigrants were here to disrupt the social order.
"We also want to see the design of permanent residency in the immigration laws, so that immigrants who do not wish to give up their original nationalities can still obtain the status of permanent resident and be ensured of certain rights." Hsia said.
Hsia noted that the current laws require foreigners give up their nationalities in order to obtain a Republic of China [ROC] ID card, since the cards are only available to citizens.
Hsia said society should still bestow certain social and civil rights on those who wish to stay in Taiwan permanently without giving up their nationality.
Huang Su-eng (
She said her association would mobilize supporters to take to the streets when necessary.
Meanwhile Hsieh Hung-mei (
Hsieh, who has lived in Taiwan for more than eight years and got her ROC ID card in 1998, said she was shocked by the questions asked by a local police officer who visited her home this year as part of the government's survey of Chinese spouses.
She said that since she has lived in the community for a long time, she was quite familiar with the police officer.
"But when he came and pulled out the questionnaire, he asked me whether I was using my marriage as a cover to engage in illegal activities," Hsieh said.
"I was shocked. I asked him, `Well you've known me for so long, do you think I am engaging in some illegal activities?'" she said.
According to Hsieh, the police officer replied, "Well, I have to fill in this form."
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