By The China Post, Taiwan/ Taiwan Immigrants' Global News Network
According to the China Post, the number of migrant workers in Taiwan has exceeded 710,000, and the number of new residents and the second generation new immigrants has exceeded one million.
Among all the cities in Taiwan, the areas with the largest number of migrant workers in Taiwan are Taoyuan City, Taichung City, and New Taipei City
Taoyuan City ranks first with the most migrant workers, and it’s quite common to see migrant workers gathering in front of bus and train stations in Taoyuan City, such as Zhongli Station.
So, why are there so many migrant workers in Taoyuan? According to data accumulated over the years, nearly 1/6 of the foreign migrant workers in Taiwan choose to work in Taoyuan.
Diving deeper into the industrial categories migrant workers work in Taoyuan, one can see that most of them are industrial workers, and only 1/5 of the migrant workers work in the social welfare industry, accounting for a small part of the total number of migrant workers in Taoyuan.
The main reason is that in response to the “3D Project” (“Dirty, Dangerous, Difficult”) and the newly added additional “Employment Stabilization Fee” available for migrant workers in 2013, the government promoted the employment of more migrant workers.
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Tourist attraction in Taoyuan City-Zhongping Commercial District. (Photo / Retrieved from First Stop in Taiwan)
Furthermore, as Taoyuan is one of the top industrial technology cities in Taiwan, more than one-third of Taiwan’s top 500 manufacturing industries set up factories in Taoyuan, and its industrial output value often ranks first in Taiwan.
Taoyuan has 32 industrial zones, ranging from traditional industries to high-tech industries, including logistics, optoelectronics, high-tech, aerospace, auto parts, green energy, and traditional industries.
Lastly, Taoyuan City has a Southeast Asian business district. There are more than 40 Southeast Asian shops near Taoyuan Railway Station alone.
In addition, Taoyuan is also home to Southeast Asian supermarkets like INDEX and VnEx. The Taoyuan Zhongping Commercial District is just like Chinatown in the United States and is a gathering place for new immigrants and migrant workers in Taiwan.
In fact, for Taiwan, the consumption and activities of migrant workers in the local area also bring huge business opportunities. After deducting the intermediary fees and the money sent home, the daily living expenses and leisure and entertainment expenses are all spent in Taoyuan. If you calculate the 110,000 migrant workers in Taoyuan, it will cost around NT$7.9 billion a year.
Many non-profit organizations closely related to migrant workers also set up their bases in Taoyuan, such as the Serve the People Association (桃園群眾協會).
Serve the People Association began its frontline rescue work for migrant workers in 2014, and its three shelter centers are also committed to helping care for migrant mothers and babies in distress.
Authorization of this article from【The China Post】By 4-Way Voice | Translated by Vivian Hsiao
