The Pingtung Service Station of the National Immigration Agency provides "Marriage Counseling Service" to help new immigrants adapt to local life

The Director of the Pingtung County Service Station (屏東縣服務站) of the Southern District Affairs Brigade of the National Immigration Agency of the Ministry of the Interior (NIA, 內政部移民署南區事務大隊) Huang Chung-Chieh (黃仲傑) and Commissioner Lin Kao-Ching (林高慶) recently met with Director Lin Chi-Chiang (林志強). The meeting had discussions and an exchange of opinions about the entry and exit regulations for new immigrants and about marriage counseling for veterans and new immigrants, and other topics. It is hoped that through the establishment of social resources linking and sharing, the services for retired veterans will improve and will help new immigrants adapt to life in Taiwan.

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The National Immigration Agency provides services to veterans and assists new immigrants in adapting to their lives. Photo/Provided by Pingtung Service Station

Director Lin Chi-Chiang stated that there are 268 pairs of retired officers and soldiers with new immigrants' spouses. Most of the new immigrants' spouses come from mainland China, but also include some from Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines in Southeast Asia, and even from Argentina in South America. The foreign spouses came to Taiwan from their hometown and are facing differences in culture, food, language, and some life adaptation problems, in addition to being affected by the recent epidemic. Many countries have added a lot of regulations on entry and exit management and quarantine measures which add difficulties to new immigrants when they want to return to their home countries.

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The National Immigration Agency helps new immigrants adapt to local life. Picture/Provided by the Central Election Commission

To protect the rights and benefits of new immigrants in Taiwan, and to improve the ability of new immigrants to adapt to their new lives, the NIA has set up the "Consultation Service Hotline for Foreigners Living in Taiwan" (外來人士在臺生活諮詢服務熱線), which provides professional consultation services for spouses of new immigrants in 7 languages. The NIA Pingtung Service Station provides on-site consultation services and telephone consultation services.

In addition, the "New Immigrant Training Development Information Website" (新住民培力發展資訊網站) integrates government information on education, employment, vocational training, and medical treatment for new immigrants. The website also provides new immigrants counseling, law advocacy, education and learning, training and employment, health and welfare, multicultural promotion, and other special topics, providing a variety of services.