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Chinese spouses protest proposed immigration rules

Members of a cross-strait marriage association stage a protest in front of the Ministry of the Interior yesterday to urge the government to stop discriminating against Chinese spouses seeking permanent residency or citizenship. PHOTO: CNA

Dozens of Chinese married to Taiwanese and their supporters demonstrated in Taipei yesterday against plans by the Ministry of the Interior to restrict the number of Chinese spouses settling in Taiwan.

"No discrimination!" "We want human rights!" demonstrators shouted as they gathered outside of the ministry.

Last year, the Cabinet commissioned a task force of National Chengchi University academics to research immigration-related policies. Media reports confirmed by ministry officials said the task force's final report, titled White Paper on Population Policy, will call for a reduction in the annual immigration quotas for spouses from China.

The academics reportedly recommended reducing the number of Chinese spouses given citizenship each year from 6,000 to 4,500, and setting a limit of 7,000 per year for those seeking long-term residency status.

Given that Chinese spouses must already wait several years before applying for permanent residency or citizenship, Wang Chuan-ping (王娟萍), a member of the Cross-Strait Marriage Association, said that "some Chinese spouses may have to wait up to 33 years to get their national ID cards under the recommended measures."

There are more than 110,000 Chinese spouses already waiting for citizenship, she said.

The demonstrators also opposed a proposed increase in financial requirements for citizenship.

At present Chinese spouses need to show they have NT$380,000 in savings to apply for citizenship.

"Starting July 1 Chinese spouses have to have at least NT$410,000 in savings and be debt-free to obtain citizenship," Wang said, adding that the increase was to reflect the increase in the minimum wage.

"Such measures clearly discriminate against Chinese spouses, and we urge the ministry not to adopt such policies," association secretary-general Tang Shu (唐曙) said.

The protesters also demanded that the government immediately amend the Statute Governing Relations between the Peoples of the Taiwan Area and Mainland Area (台灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) so that Chinese spouses are treated like other foreign spouses who are able to obtain a national ID card after just four years of continuous residence, instead of eight years.

Deputy director of the ministry's Department of Household Registration Affairs, Su Ching-chao (蘇清朝), met with the demonstrators. Su said many countries require applicants for citizenship to provide proof of their financial worth.

Additional reporting by CNA
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