Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/12/03
By: William Yen

Taipei, Dec. 3 (CNA) A coalition of migrant rights groups rallied in Taipei Tuesday, calling on the government to abolish the broker system to free migrant workers from exploitation by manpower agencies.

At the rally staged outside the Ministry of Labor (MOL), Chen Hsiu-lien (陳秀蓮), a member of the Taiwan International Workers' Association (TIWA), invited migrant workers to share their experiences of unfair practices by their brokers.

The first to take the microphone was Winwin, an Indonesian who said that her broker has charged her NT$4,800 (US$157) to renew her passport, while the actual cost is only NT$800.

She said brokers often charge placement fees, which range from NT$20,000 to NT$90,000, forcing migrant workers to run away because they cannot make the repayments.    [FULL  STORY]