Legislators and government officials yesterday locked horns over whether Immigration Law (入出國及移民法) amendments should require officials to provide a document listing reasons before a foreigner is deported or refused residence.
The Home and Nations Committee yesterday began reviewing amendments to the Immigration Law, but were divided over several articles, prompting the meeting to be cut short and postponed until further negotiations can be held between officials and legislators.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) said current regulations do not require officials to provide reasons for deporting foreigners and overseas Taiwanese.
Although overseas Taiwanese have Republic of China passports, they do not have a household registration; therefore many of their rights are not protected, Hsiao said.
No chance to appeal
In addition, many foreigners have complained of being refused resident status or of being deported without being given a reason or a chance to appeal, she added.
Chen Yuan-ying (陳媛英), a counselor at the Ministry of Justice, said that according to the Administrative Procedure Law (行政程序法), the requirement already existed and there was no need to add it to the Immigration Law.
Too complicated
It would cause complications if every single law with an approval or refusal had to be amended to include the regulation, Chen said.
Chen said the Administrative Procedure Law requires that a person being deported or refused resident status be given a document stating the reasons.
Hsiao asked the Ministry of Interior to provide records to prove that the Administrative Procedure Law had been effectively carried out before deciding whether to add the amendment or not.
She added that many foreigners would not have enough time to read or even know about the procedure law, and would therefore not know their rights.
Taiwan Solidarity Union Legislator Kuo Lin-Yung (郭林勇) supported Hsiao's proposal, saying that the rights of foreigners should be protected and that they deserved to know the reasons for being deported or refused residence.
Deputy Interior Minister Chien Tai-lang (
Hsiao also proposed that there should be methods of appeal for overseas Taiwanese if they are refused residence, as well as temporary or long-term stays.
The committee has to review more than 80 articles in the Immigration Law.
The date of the next review session is unknown.
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) today condemned the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) after the Czech officials confirmed that Chinese agents had surveilled Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) during her visit to Prague in March last year. Czech Military Intelligence director Petr Bartovsky yesterday said that Chinese operatives had attempted to create the conditions to carry out a demonstrative incident involving Hsiao, going as far as to plan a collision with her car. Hsiao was vice president-elect at the time. The MAC said that it has requested an explanation and demanded a public apology from Beijing. The CCP has repeatedly ignored the desires
Many Chinese spouses required to submit proof of having renounced their Chinese household registration have either completed the process or provided affidavits ahead of the June 30 deadline, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said on Thursday. Of the 12,146 people required to submit the proof, 5,534 had done so as of Wednesday, MAC deputy head and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. Another 2,572 people who met conditions for exemption or deferral from submitting proof of deregistration — such as those with serious illnesses or injuries — have submitted affidavits instead, he said. “As long as individuals are willing to cooperate with the legal
The Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant’s license has expired and it cannot simply be restarted, the Executive Yuan said today, ahead of national debates on the nuclear power referendum. The No. 2 reactor at the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County was disconnected from the nation’s power grid and completely shut down on May 17, the day its license expired. The government would prioritize people’s safety and conduct necessary evaluations and checks if there is a need to extend the service life of the reactor, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) told a news conference. Lee said that the referendum would read: “Do
The Ministry of Environment yesterday held a seminar in Taipei for experts from Taiwan and Japan to exchange their experiences on the designs and development of public toilets. Japan Toilet Association chairman Kohei Yamamoto said that he was impressed with the eco-toilet set up at Daan Forest Park, adding that Japan still faces issues regarding public restrooms despite the progress it made over the past decades. For example, an all-gender toilet was set up in Kabukicho in Tokyo’s Shinjuku District several years ago, but it caused a public backlash and was rebuilt into traditional men’s and women’s toilets, he said. Japan Toilet Association
RSS