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.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
UNKNOWN TRAJECTORY: The storm could move in four possible directions, with the fourth option considered the most threatening to Taiwan, meteorologist Lin De-en said A soon-to-be-formed tropical storm east of the Philippines could begin affecting Taiwan on Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The storm, to be named Fung-wong (鳳凰), is forecast to approach Taiwan on Tuesday next week and could begin affecting the weather in Taiwan on Wednesday, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said, adding that its impact might be amplified by the combined effect with the northeast monsoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the system’s center was 2,800km southeast of Oluanbi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving northwest at 18kph. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) on Facebook yesterday wrote that the would-be storm is surrounded by
RSS