The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday flatly denied media reports that the government intended to cancel the interview system for Chinese spouses at immigration points near the nation's airports.
The government would only reinforce the port-of-entry interview system, not reduce it, the council said.
"The council knows nothing about such a proposal," a statement issued by the council said yesterday.
The statement was referring to a report which cited high-ranking government sources as saying the MAC, the Ministry of the Interior and the National Security Council had been discussing a proposal to abolish the practice of interviewing Chinese spouses at CKS International Airport, Hsiaokang International Airport in Kaohsiung, as well as on Kinmen and Matsu as early as June.
The report said the reform was part of a series of adjustments, with the ministry formally establishing in May or June an immigration bureau that would be dedicated to handling immigration-related affairs.
NEW BUREAU
The MAC statement said that once the new immigration bureau is established in June, the border interview system will only be further reinforced, as the system is widely regarded as "effective" in detecting fake marriages.
"There is no point in changing current management regulations," the statement said.
"It will not be effective if the port-of-entry interview system is replaced with random interview checks after the immigrants' entry into the country, as this will only cost more in terms of resources to implement," the council said.
The MAC stressed that it would strengthen the port-of-entry interview system for Chinese spouses, as well as investigations into their Taiwanese counterparts.
The government initiated the practice of interviewing Chinese spouses in September 2003 in response to the large number of Chinese women entering the country under the pretext of getting married. Many of the women were actually seeking employment, with a large number reportedly ending up working in the sex industry.
According to official statistics, more than 108,000 people were interviewed from the time the system was started until Feb. 17.
More than 3,700 of those interviewed were deported because of irregularities in their applications.
MINISTRY CONFIRMATION
Backing up the MAC's statement, ministry officials said that interviews for Chinese spouses at airports are not being canceled.
The system is currently effective in preventing illegal immigrants from entering the country, they said.
A 400-person team will be established under the future immigration bureau to crack down on people illegally staying in the country and to cooperate with airport and port authorities in conducting interviews.
Additional reporting by Jean Lin
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
Advocates of the rights of motorcycle and scooter riders yesterday protested in front of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in Taipei, making three demands. They were joined by 30 passenger vehicles, which surrounded the ministry to make three demands related to traffic regulations — that motorcycles and scooters above 250cc be allowed on highways, that all motorcycles and scooters be allowed on inside lanes, and that driver and rider training programs be reformed. The ministry said that it has no plans to allow motorcycles on national highways for the time being, and said that motorcycles would be allowed on the inner