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Is Taiwan’s plan to introduce migrant workers from India in trouble?

Taiwan’s proposed recruitment of Indian workers is under scrutiny by opposition, who claim that the migrants could abscond. This, despite growing labour shortages across key sectors

FP Explainers|Apr 14, 2026, 14:11:21 IST

Members of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) has opposed the move on the grounds that the workers could abscond.

They have claimed that the risk is too high and that the government should first fix the flaws in the system before introducing new workers. The development comes as Taiwan is facing a severe manpower shortage across sectors including manufacturing, construction, and agriculture.

But what do we know about the plan to bring migrant workers from India? Why is it facing opposition?

Let’s take a closer look

What happened

India and Taiwan signed a Memorandum of Understanding in November 2024. Under the terms of the deal, New Delhi agreed to send 1,000 workers to Taipei.

Key detail

Taipei prefers workers from India’s northeastern states, citing cultural similarities and easier assimilation, sources told The Indian Express. Officials indicated that Taiwan has been in talks with states such as Assam, Mizoram, and Nagaland, with priority likely to be given to workers proficient in English.

Zoom out

Taiwan is already home to around 700,000 migrant workers, most of whom come from Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand, according to data cited by The Indian Express.

This marks the first time Taiwan is looking to India to help plug its labour gap.

Context: India has signed migration and mobility agreements with several countries, including Gulf Cooperation Council nations such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Jordan. It also has agreements with Denmark, Japan, Portugal, Mauritius, and Israel.

The controversy: The plan initially ran into trouble after remarks by Taiwan’s then Minister of Labour, Hsu Ming-chun, as reported by TaiwanPolitics.org.

Hsu said Taiwan would prefer workers from India’s northeast, citing their ‘skin colour’ and food habits as being similar to those of Taiwanese people. She also added that most of them are Christians.

The remarks triggered backlash across the political spectrum, with critics describing them as inappropriate and discriminatory.

Fallout: The Taiwanese government issued a formal apology, acknowledging that certain remarks by officials were not appropriate and had led to criticism from Taiwanese society, Indian stakeholders, and the international community, according to TaiwanPolitics.org.

What the opposition says

Opposition leaders from the KMT argue that Taiwan already faces a serious and long-standing issue of migrant workers absconding from their contracts, according to Taipei Times. They contend that introducing more workers without fixing systemic flaws would worsen the problem. KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang has warned that the government is “opening the doors even wider” without addressing existing issues.

Meanwhile, legislator Wang Yu-min has called for the government to present clear backup measures and communicate them effectively to the public before moving forward.

Opposition leaders from the KMT argue that Taiwan already faces a serious and long-standing issue of migrant workers absconding from their contracts.

KMT legislator Huang Chien-pin has also stressed that, despite Taiwan’s labour shortages, the government should not “hastily introduce migrant workers in the absence of a social consensus or supporting measures”. He framed the concerns as being rooted in safety considerations rather than prejudice.

Flashpoint: Huang cited data from India’s National Crime Records Bureau, noting that there were 445,256 reported crimes against women in 2022, including more than 31,000 cases of rape — an average of around 85 per day.

These figures, reported by Taipei Times, have been used by critics to bolster their argument for caution.

The pushback: The ruling Democratic Progressive Party has pushed back strongly, noting that the Legislative Yuan’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee had already examined and cleared the proposal with support from opposition parties, according to Taipei Times.

Officials have accused the KMT of politicising the issue and portraying the policy in extreme terms, including describing it as a “flood of monsters”.

What’s next

Taiwan’s Labour Minister Hung Sun-han has said that the first batch of Indian migrant workers could be introduced this year, according to Taipei Times.

The MoU was sent to the Legislative Yuan for review in mid-2024 and received backing across party lines, paving the way for follow-up negotiations between the two sides, as reported by the newspaper.

Why it matters

The debate comes at a time when Taiwan is facing a severe manpower shortage across sectors including manufacturing, construction, and agriculture.

The bottom line

Taiwan badly needs workers and is eyeing India to plug its gaps. Meanwhile, it is politics that is slowing things down.

FAQs

1. Why does Taiwan want Indian migrant workers?

Taiwan is facing a severe labour shortage in sectors like manufacturing, construction, and agriculture, and is looking to India as a new labour source.

2. Why is there opposition to the plan?

Opposition parties argue that migrant workers may abscond, and that Taiwan’s existing system needs reform before expanding recruitment.

3. What caused controversy initially?

Remarks by a Taiwanese minister referencing ‘skin colour’ and cultural traits of Indian workers sparked backlash and were widely criticised as inappropriate.