TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan is set to allow migrant workers from India. Whether this will extend to caretakers is still under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) said on Saturday (Feb. 17).
Home and institutional caretakers are a significant labor demand within Taiwan. MOHW’s Deputy Director of the Department of Long-Term Care, Wu Hsi-wen, stated that the current manpower for residential caregivers is sufficient. The final decision on whether Indian migrant workers will be included depends on the Ministry of Labor's considerations.
A day earlier, the Ministry of Labor and the Indian government completed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for labor cooperation. It details Taiwan's discretion over the industries and the number of Indian migrant workers. In response, India will recruit and train these workers based on Taiwan’s needs, following their bilateral legal regulations for employment.
Currently, foreign caregivers can only serve in residential institutions, while domestic caregivers can operate at home and in the community. According to Wu, last year’s data showed no significant issues with the residential workforce's supply and demand. However, this year’s situation requires a reevaluation.
As for the strategy in coping with long-term care manpower demands, Taiwan encourages its citizens to work and is combining measures with the “New Southbound Policy.” In collaboration with the Ministry of Education, they encourage international students from these countries to study and be employed here after graduation.
Whether Indian migrant workers can be caregivers is yet to be determined by the Ministry of Labor, Wu said. In terms of managing foreign service workers, the MOHW doesn't have specific plans for various nationalities. Regardless, they continue to care about the quality of care and language communication abilities of these foreign workers.