Foreigners who have lived in Taiwan for decades and love the country should be granted a permanent-resident visa, a lawmaker said yesterday.
At a press conference held yesterday at the legislature, KMT Legislator Apollo Chen (
"Taiwan owes them too much," Chen said.
Doris Brougham (彭蒙惠), the founder of the English magazine Studio Classroom (空中英語教室), for example, has failed in her efforts to apply for a permanent-resident visa although she has lived in Taiwan for over 50 years.
"It seems a face-losing thing for me because I am still treated as a guest despite living here for so long," the well-known English teacher said in fluent Mandarin.
Brougham, who is almost 75, came to Taiwan alone in 1926 and established the popular magazine and the radio program in the same year.
Over the past few decades, she has been awarded several important educational prizes, including the annual National Teachers' Award (
Because Brougham has to attend international conferences or return home to visit her family every year, she cannot conform to the regulations stipulated in the Immigration Law (
Chen said he would advocate amendments to the law after the new legislature convenes on Feb. 2.
In a similar case, DPP Lawmaker Tsai Hung-lang (蔡煌瑯) has repeatedly tried to help Bjarne Gislefoss (徐賓諾), former superintendent of the Puli Christian Hospital (埔里基督教醫院), and his wife Alfhild Gislefoss (紀歐惠), to obtain the permanent-resident visas.
But the help has always been in vain.
Therefore, Puli citizens organized a petition parade recently on the behalf of the Norwegians.
The parade was made up of ambulances, cars, minibuses and election campaign vans, as well as hundreds of people marching.
Liu Chien-chih (劉建志), vice superintendent of the Christian hospital, said Gislefoss, 79, and his wife, 84, tied the knot in Taiwan decades ago. In a bid to establish the hospital in Puli, they returned to their country to raise funds.
They have also spared no effort to take care of Taiwan's Aborigines, Liu said.
"They do not have children of their own, but have become the grandfather and grandmother of many thankful people," the vice-superintendent said
In addition to the many prizes and honors they have received over the years, the couple was honored by the Cabinet-level Council of Aboriginal Affairs last year for their dedication. President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has also granted them an audience.
The parade may not have been in vain.
With the assistance of Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) and lawmakers Tsai and Apollo Chen, the president has ordered the ministries of foreign affairs and the interior to deal expeditiously with the issue, local media reported.
The Taiwanese passport ranked 33rd in a global listing of passports by convenience this month, rising three places from last month’s ranking, but matching its position in January last year. The Henley Passport Index, an international ranking of passports by the number of designations its holder can travel to without a visa, showed that the Taiwan passport enables holders to travel to 139 countries and territories without a visa. Singapore’s passport was ranked the most powerful with visa-free access to 192 destinations out of 227, according to the index published on Tuesday by UK-based migration investment consultancy firm Henley and Partners. Japan’s and
NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT: An official said that Guan Guan’s comments had gone beyond the threshold of free speech, as she advocated for the destruction of the ROC China-born media influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China content that threatens national security, the National Immigration Agency said yesterday. Guan Guan has said many controversial things in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” while expressing hope for expedited “reunification.” The agency received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification last year. After investigating, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and account for her actions. Guan Guan appeared as required,
Japan and the Philippines yesterday signed a defense pact that would allow the tax-free provision of ammunition, fuel, food and other necessities when their forces stage joint training to boost deterrence against China’s growing aggression in the region and to bolster their preparation for natural disasters. Japan has faced increasing political, trade and security tensions with China, which was angered by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remark that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would be a survival-threatening situation for Japan, triggering a military response. Japan and the Philippines have also had separate territorial conflicts with Beijing in the East and South China
A strong cold air mass is expected to arrive tonight, bringing a change in weather and a drop in temperature, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The coldest time would be early on Thursday morning, with temperatures in some areas dipping as low as 8°C, it said. Daytime highs yesterday were 22°C to 24°C in northern and eastern Taiwan, and about 25°C to 28°C in the central and southern regions, it said. However, nighttime lows would dip to about 15°C to 16°C in central and northern Taiwan as well as the northeast, and 17°C to 19°C elsewhere, it said. Tropical Storm Nokaen, currently
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