Taipei Times
Date: Mar 15, 2017
By: Lee I-chia / Staff reporter

Representatives from human rights organizations yesterday urged the Legislative

Taiwan Association for China Human Rights chairman Yang Hsien-hung, center, and representatives of other human rights groups call for swift passage of a refugee law during a news conference yesterday in Taipei. Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times

Yuan to pass a draft bill on refugees as soon as possible.
At a news conference held to urge the swift passage of the bill, the groups played video footage of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) saying “freedom and human rights are values that Taiwanese cherish the most. Taiwan should not keep itself away from other nations when facing the issue of refugees,” during a charity event held for refugees in Taipei in June last year.

The draft bill — which would allow foreign or stateless victims of political or religious repression, war or natural disaster, who have been forced to leave their homelands to apply for asylum to gain the right to reside in Taiwan if their application is approved by a review committee — passed an initial review by a Legislative Yuan committee in July last year.    [FULL  STORY]