Two Chinese applied for political asylum during a transit stop at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport four days ago, the National Immigration Agency said on Sunday.
The agency is keeping the two men at the airport, because they do not have documents allowing them to enter Taiwan, it said, adding that it is waiting for verification and instructions from other authorities.
The agency did not reveal the identities of the men, citing privacy concerns, but said that they asked for protection from political persecution in China.
The Mainland Affairs Council said the men, who were traveling on Chinese passports, arrived in Taiwan on Thursday on a flight from Thailand with the next leg to China.
However, they did not board the flight, the council said.
The asylum requests would be addressed in accordance with law and precedence, the council said.
In May, Chinese human rights advocate Huang Yan (黃燕) sought political asylum during a transit stop.
Huang, who held a refugee certificate issued by the UN, was permitted to enter Taiwan, where she stayed for three months before arranging to settle elsewhere.
The council said that Huang was permitted to enter Taiwan out of “humanitarian considerations,” as she was ill.
During the three months, Huang received help from civil action groups and obtained the right to settle in another nation, the council said.
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