Today marks the deadline for two Chinese-born spouses of Taiwanese who posted “reunification” comments on social media to voluntarily leave Taiwan before being forcibly deported.
The two women, who go by Xiaowei (小微) and Enqi (恩綺), have had their dependent-based residency permits revoked and cannot reapply for five years after being reported for comments on Chinese social media platform Douyin about “reunifying” China and Taiwan by military force.
One woman has already bought flight tickets and is prepared to leave, while one remains undecided, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) told reporters at the Legislative Yuan today.
Photo: Lee Wen-hsin, Taipei Times
The Ministry of the Interior found that one influencer has a strong connection to the Taiwan Affairs Office in China, having previously maintained frequent communication, which could be the cause of the current uncertainties, she said.
Neither of the two women has citizenship or a Taiwanese passport, so according to National Immigration Agency (NIA) regulations, Chinese citizens whose dependent-based residency permits are revoked have 10 days to leave Taiwan before facing forced deportation measures, she added.
Both women have sought counsel from Taiwanese lawyers and have filed appeals, she said.
The two women and their Taiwanese husbands on Friday last week protested outside the Presidential Office with a white banner reading: “Give back our rights as mothers."
Both women have protested being separated from their families in the event of deportation.
They also handed a petition to the Presidential Office’s military police.
Their actions would not affect the enforcement of the original ruling, Liu said.
The NIA is already aware of the two women’s place of residence and movements, she added.
In an effort to avoid conflict, a special NIA task force would first try to persuade the women to leave voluntarily, the NIA said.
If the women refuse to comply, the agents would resort to using force, it said.
In the event of forced deportation, any costs incurred for flight tickets and related expenses would be charged to the person concerned or their guarantor in Taiwan, as stated in Article 19 of the Act Governing the Relations Between the People of Taiwan and the Mainland Area (台灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), the agency said.
If they fail to pay, the case would be referred to the Ministry of Justice’s Administrative Enforcement Agency for collection, it added.
Additional reporting by Wang Kuan-jen and CNA
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS