The Alliance
for Human Rights
Legislation for Immigrants and Migrants (AHRLIM)
December 22, 2003, Petition
The Government of Taiwan says that it supports human rights, but its policies
always ignore the rights of immigrants and migrants. Taiwan's migratory population
did not just come, all of a sudden, out of nowhere. Everybody who lives on
this island comes from a family of immigrants-the only difference with today's
immigrants is a question of old and new. Yet today's Taiwanese society is
unsure of what to think about the new migrants and immigrants, and some in
the Government and in the news media are trying to use that uncertainty to
create fear and deny these new immigrants and migrants their rights. Instead
of educating society about the advantages of a multicultural, pluralist society,
the newspapers and TV just make immigrants and migrants look like a big problem.
They try to create the idea that the new immigrants and migrants are criminals
and spies, the main source of today's social ills. As the media stirs up fear
in Taiwanese society, the Government promotes policies that actively prevent
new migrants and immigrants from enjoying the same rights and benefits allowed
to other residents of Taiwan even as they work and make a positive contribution
to Taiwanese society.
In order to promote both the Human Rights of immigrants and
migrants, as well as the development of a healthy, pluralist society, a group
of non-governmental organizations concerned with Human Rights, immigration
policy, foreign labor, and democracy have joined with lawyers and scholars
bearing a long term interest on these issues to form The Alliance for Human
Rights Legislation for Immigrants and Migrants (AHRLIM).
The following petition presents our position and demands. We
invite individuals and groups to sign this petition. Please join us in providing
suggestions for government immigration policy. Our goal is to promote public
dialogue and understanding, to eliminate discrimination, and to enable immigrants
and migrants to enjoy the same rights and work opportunities open to other
members of Taiwanese society.
Our position:
Every individual enjoys basic human rights, regardless of race, color,
gender, language, religion, political or other creed, nationality, social
status, wealth, place of birth or any other social distinction. We support
plural social development and the promotion of social dialogue designed to
eradicate discrimination.
Our demands:
1) According to the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights," it
is clearly stated that national policies must not infringe upon the basic
rights of the individual for reasons of race, nationality, gender, and so
forth. Although Taiwan has signed this Declaration, the Executive Yuan's plans
for a Bureau of Immigration combine police, investigative, and judicial functions
in a single body and make immigrants and migrants into a population of suspected
criminals. The proposed Bureau would focus on preventive control, covering
up human rights' violations in the name of security. We ask for an immediate
halt to deliberation on the amendments proposed by the Executive Yuan and
propose that public discussion of immigration policy be allowed to return
to its basis in Human Rights.
2) Given that immigration policy in itself requires comprehensive
planning, and given the need to prevent abuse of authority, we suggest related
laws be reviewed. The draft governing the organization of the Bureau of Immigration
proposed by the Executive Yuan is part of organizational law that should be
amended at the same time amendments are made to the related functional codes-The
Immigration and Entry and Exit Law-in order to establish the terms of concrete
norms for a comprehensive immigration policy, including issues such as the
specific tasks to be assumed by the Bureau of Immigration, channels for supervision
of the Bureau and handling of complaints, and jurisdictional divisions with
other departments.
3) The draft proposal presented by the Executive Yuan for the organization of a Bureau of Immigration and related immigration codes are measures that directly affect the future of Taiwanese immigration policy, including the organization and authority accorded to the actual administrative organs concerned. As such, it forms a crucial link in the national immigration policy, affecting the rights of immigrants and migrants. National immigration policy further contains implicit ideas about social organization that will directly affect the way Taiwanese people imagine "citizenship" and identity. Hence, we ask that public debate on such an important matter be expanded such that immigrants, migrants, their families and society-at-large may have a greater chance to participate in and understand the stakes of making such policy.
Petition Signatory Fax Return Form
Please return this form by fax to The Women's Awakening Foundation: 02-25028725
By e-mail: hsinchi@ms10.hinet.net
¡¼ Group adherent
Organization Name: ______________________________
Contact Person: _______________________________
Contact Information: ________________________________
¡¼ Individual adherent
Name: _________________________________
Position: (English) __________________________________
(Chinese) _________________________________
Nationality/Place of Residence: _______________________
Contact Information: ________________________________