Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) yesterday said the council is to hold a cross-ministerial meeting today to discuss tightening criminal liability for people who came to Taiwan illegally after two Chinese men attempted to illegally enter Taiwan on small vessels in the past three months.
A 60-year-old Chinese man, surnamed Ruan (阮), on June 9 arrived in a motorboat at a ferry pier in New Taipei City’s Tamsui District (淡水), while a Chinese man surnamed Wang (王) was found on an inflatable rubber boat at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口) on Sept. 14.
Chinese are often discovered offshore by the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) personnel, and they are not prosecuted if they do not enter Taiwan, Kuan said.
Photo copied by Wu Jen-chieh, Taipei Times
If people who illegally enter Taiwan are captured near the shore, the punishment is imprisonment of no more than five years, she said, adding that the court can sentence them to less than three months, or even probation.
Ruan was on Wednesday last week sentenced to eight months in jail, which is the heaviest penalty given so far, she said, adding that he would be sent back to China after completing his sentence.
If China is performing a stress test on Taiwan, its cost is very low, Kuan said.
The OAC is to hold an illegal entry prevention meeting today to be attended by officials from the Ministry of Justice, the Mainland Affairs Council and the Ministry of the Interior (MOI).
Kuan said she would propose amending the Immigration Act (入出國及移民法) and the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (兩岸人民關係條例) to tighten criminal liability to deter such actions.
Taiwan proper and Kinmen and Lienchiang counties have a long shoreline of about 1,800km, she said.
The OAC would upgrade its drones and infrared detection equipment to improve detection, Kuang said.
However, fishers and people near the shores should report unusual activities and awareness for civil defense should be increased to crack down on drugs and weapons smuggling.
According to the implementation rules for the CGA, people who report suspected illegal border crossings can receive a reward of NT$3,000 for each seized illegal entrant, but no more than NT$200,000, the OAC said.
The council is considering increasing the reward and loosening the requirements to encourage people to report suspected cases, it said.
Meanwhile, the MOI said that as Ruan entered an area under police jurisdiction, it plans to hold a joint exercise for the police and fire departments next month, and the CGA would participate.
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