TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Immigrant advocacy groups are pushing back against Taiwan's stringent citizenship requirements as the Taiwan Immigration Youth Alliance (移民青年倡議陣線) condemned the National Immigration Agency's (NIA, 移民署) three-month ultimatum for approximately 12,000 former Chinese nationals to prove they've renounced their mainland citizenship. The alliance decried on Monday (April 14) the deadline as "unreasonable" and is lobbying for a one to two-year extension with additional accommodations.
Alliance leaders detailed the logistical nightmare facing affected families. Chairperson Lưu Thiên Bình (劉千萍) and executive director Li I-ching (李依靜) pointed to the scarcity of direct cross-strait flights since the pandemic, forcing travelers to endure multiple connections to reach their Chinese hometowns. Li noted the inconsistent processing times across China's provincial bureaucracies, calling on Taiwan's officials to account for these variations and include holiday periods in any deadline extension.
In their formal petition, the alliance outlined five core demands including transparent appeals processes, alternative documentation options, deadline extensions, administrative assistance, and recognition of the psychological impact on immigrant families. While Lưu mentioned their organization has created guidance materials to help navigate China's complex renunciation procedures, she pressed the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC, 大陸委員會), Taiwan's agency handling cross-strait relations, and immigration authorities to establish more robust support systems. ★