Nearly 300 foreigners stranded in Taiwan form Facebook group to seek help with housing, work

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/05/25
By:  Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A group of over 100 foreign travelers who became stranded in Taiwan after the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic broke out have formed a support group and are seeking assistance with their new life in Taiwan.

On Feb. 25, just as the coronavirus outbreak was beginning to accelerate, Lea, a 31-year-old Argentinian real estate agent, told Taiwan News that she had a layover scheduled in Taiwan during a tour of southeast Asia. As fate would have it, this was her last flight as countries closed their borders due to the pandemic, and she soon found herself having to make plans to stay in Taiwan indefinitely.

Fortunately, Lea managed to contact a Frenchwoman willing to let her stay in her apartment, as the woman was unable to return to Taiwan. After meeting a growing number of foreigners in the same boat — given airports across the globe shutting down — on April 8 Lea decided to set up a Facebook group called "Stuck in Taiwan – Best Place to Be."

The purpose of the group is to connect those willing to help out with foreigners in need of assistance. Over 279 members have joined the group thus far from countries such as Argentina, Turkey, Lebanon, France, and the U.S.   [FULL  STORY]