The New Taipei City Special Task Force of the Immigration Agency recently received a report and went to a hospital ward in the northern region to perform inspection duties. They found a missing Indonesian migrant worker who was caring for a patient on the spot. The immigration officer keenly noticed the unusual situation at the scene. The hospital ward floors strictly control the entry and exit of people through access cards and the hospital's exclusive APP. How could illegal immigrants freely enter and exit the restricted area? The immigration officer continued to question the illegal Indonesian migrant worker and found out that the mastermind behind the scenes was a female supervisor sent by the hospital care contractor. She disregarded the health rights of patients and colluded with illegal agents to privately assign cases to illegal workers without legal documents. The foreign workers were placed in the wards to care for the patients so that the patients' families mistakenly believed that they were legal foreign caregivers and paid for their services without any suspicion. The female supervisor and illegal brokers collected NT$800 per day in brokerage fees from each illegal worker. It is estimated that their illegal profits could be as high as over NT$3 million per year!
The New Taipei City Special Task Force formed a task force to conduct an in-depth investigation and found that illegal brokers used hidden iron dormitories in the mountains to house a large number of migrant workers, which was like a "transit station for illegal workers." The agent provided a special pick-up to reduce the risk of detection, but the applicant was still detected by experienced immigration officers. In mid-November 2014, the New Taipei City Special Duty Team, in collaboration with the New Taipei City Government’s Labor Bureau and the Coast Guard Administration, carried out a crackdown operation and seized 11 illegal female migrant workers in dormitories and related locations. The female supervisor and two agents involved in the case were transferred to the local prosecutor's office for investigation for violating the Employment Services Act. The 11 missing migrant workers were investigated and taken in by the New Taipei City Special Service Team by the law and then repatriated.The missing migrant workers were investigated and detained by the New Taipei City Special Service Team by the law and then repatriated (Photo/Reproduced from the Immigration Agency website)
According to investigations, legal caregivers need to undergo training and obtain a license, but when hospitals are short of manpower, illegal agents take the opportunity to dispatch undocumented workers without any professional qualifications to act as caregivers. Not only do these migrant workers lack professional skills, but they may also pose serious risks to the patient's health. Their families pay high fees without knowing it, suffering double losses.
Huang Yigang, captain of the New Taipei City Special Service Team of the Immigration Agency, reminded the public that when they need care, they should check the caregiver's credentials to confirm their legality and avoid being deceived. At the same time, it is warned that it is not illegal to introduce jobs to foreigners, and violators will face up to three years in prison. The Immigration Agency emphasized that it will continue to crack down on illegal brokers to protect the health and rights of the people.