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We offer our respectful greetings to the officials of the Government, the members of the Judiciary and of the Executive, the representatives of the people, the employers and the foreign workers, to our brothers and sisters in the Faith, and to all persons of good will.

The Bishops of the Chinese Bishops’ Conference address this letter to all persons of good will and particularly to the employers and the friends of foreign workers.

We wish that all of us may cooperate in the spirit of our Chinese saying "Within the Four Seas we are All Brothers" and of Christ’s invitation to "Love our Brothers as Ourselves" in order to examine and find a solution to the problem of the foreign workers which becomes daily more serious, so that these workers and the families they support may live in dignity as befits human beings.

Our hope is that this letter may show the concern of the Church for the foreign workers and help our government in solving this urgent social problem. It is part of the mission of the Church to care for the poor and those who are in difficulty, to be the voice of the voiceless, to be a bridge between them and the government as well as their employers.

Through a sincere collaboration and a common effort we hope to face and comprehend the problem of the foreign workers which becomes more and more serious with each passing day, so that a solution may be found that is humanitarian, reasonable and at the same time respectful of the law.

The cold articles of the law and figures of statistics may easily give an erroneous view of the problem. One might imagine that the foreign workers are a large crown of illegal residents stealing the employment of our own nationals. Such a view would ignore the blood and tears of the individuals, the tragedy of the families and the difficult international and social implications hidden behind the laws and the statistics.

The number of illegal foreign workers varies with each different report. According to the "Labor Bureau Monthly Statistics" of December 1988, they number between twenty and thirty thousand. A few days later the Police Authorities proposed the figure of 8,000 based on computer information. Newspapers and a few private estimates give the number as between seventy thousand and one hundred and fifty thousand. At any rate the number is large and, because of real needs, it keeps increasing.

Most of our foreign workers come from the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. They pay a large amount of money to recruiting agencies in order to enter the country and are "sold" to employers as cheap labor. Then they sign an extremely unjust and degrading contract. The employers keep their passports to prevent them from escaping.

Most of the foreign workers come to Taiwan on a tourist visa. After the visa expires they become illegal residents and are deprived of protection. Because of that situation it is easy to impose on them low pay, unreasonable working conditions and such oppression that is an insult to their dignity. As related by themselves: "We bind ourselves into hard labor which most locals don’t want" (China Post, Dec. 13, 1988, letter of Dec. 12, 1988).

Because the number of foreign workers residing illegally in the country is so large, the Police Authorities offer a reward for their arrest. Anyone who gives information leading to the arrest of one foreign worker receives 1,000 local dollars. Anyone who brings one foreign worker to the police station receives 1,200 dollars.

On the other hand our country faces a serious labor shortage. For example, the textile and garment industry cannot maintain its normal level of production because it is short of 120,000 workers. Many public construction projects are behind schedule because of a shortage of 200,000 laborers. It is an undeniable fact that many industrial leaders appealed several times to the government to allow them to hire foreign workers.

"Every person has the right to change his residence and his work as well as the right to migrate freely. This is the concrete expression of human dignity and freedom" (Pontifical Commission for Migration and Tourism, Rome, 1988).

In the course of history this right has often become an urgent need. War, hunger, poverty, disasters forced large numbers of people to leave their families, their friends and their country in search of a living in distant foreign lands.

In foreign lands it is not easy for the migrant to earn a living and he experiences hardships because of the differences in race, language, culture and customs. It is difficult to imagine these hardships if one have not experienced them personally. Way back in the early stages of migration to Southeast Asia and overseas, our compatriots went through this experience.

We sincerely beg the legislators and magistrates concerned to examine this ever more serious problem of the foreign workers and, from a humane point of view, to search for a solution that is compassionate, reasonable and in conformity with the laws.

In fact, since our country experiences a shortage of labor and since many illegal laborers are already in our country, our legislation should legalize their presence and thus also assist the normal development of our industry and trade. This would allow the foreign workers to come out of hiding and live legally in the open, to enjoy their rights and meet their legal obligations, to pay their taxes and lead a free, happy life worthy of a human being.

After such a law is passed, it an amnesty can be granted, the workers who are illegal residents would be allowed to register again and their work would be protected. This would put an end to many forms of exploitation, tax evasion and other violations of the law. It would help our industrial development and also improve our relations with Southeast Asian countries while giving us the possibility of asking other countries to give equal treatment to our citizens abroad.

"On the Question of Foreign Workers"
Pastoral Letter, February 6, 1989

We offer our respectful greetings to the officials of the Government, the members of the Judiciary and of the Executive, the representatives of the people, the employers and the foreign workers, to our brothers and sisters in the Faith, and to all persons of good will. Introduction The Bishops of the Chinese Bishops’ Conference address this letter to all persons of good will and particularly to the employers and the friends of foreign workers. We wish that all of us may cooperate in the spirit of our Chinese saying "Within the Four Seas we are All Brothers" and of Christ’s invitation to "Love our Brothers as Ourselves" in order to examine and find a solution to the problem of the foreign workers which becomes daily more serious, so that these workers and the families they support may live in dignity as befits human beings. Our hope is that this letter may show the concern of the Church for the foreign workers and help our government in solving this urgent social problem. It is part of the mission of the Church to care for the poor and those who are in difficulty, to be the voice of the voiceless, to be a bridge between them and the government as well as their employers. Through a sincere collaboration and a common effort we hope to face and comprehend the problem of the foreign workers which becomes more and more serious with each passing day, so that a solution may be found that is humanitarian, reasonable and at the same time respectful of the law. The cold articles of the law and figures of statistics may easily give an erroneous view of the problem. One might imagine that the foreign workers are a large crown of illegal residents stealing the employment of our own nationals. Such a view would ignore the blood and tears of the individuals, the tragedy of the families and the difficult international and social implications hidden behind the laws and the statistics. Situation of the Foreign Workers in Taiwan The number of illegal foreign workers varies with each different report. According to the "Labor Bureau Monthly Statistics" of December 1988, they number between twenty and thirty thousand. A few days later the Police Authorities proposed the figure of 8,000 based on computer information. Newspapers and a few private estimates give the number as between seventy thousand and one hundred and fifty thousand. At any rate the number is large and, because of real needs, it keeps increasing. Most of our foreign workers come from the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. They pay a large amount of money to recruiting agencies in order to enter the country and are "sold" to employers as cheap labor. Then they sign an extremely unjust and degrading contract. The employers keep their passports to prevent them from escaping. Most of the foreign workers come to Taiwan on a tourist visa. After the visa expires they become illegal residents and are deprived of protection. Because of that situation it is easy to impose on them low pay, unreasonable working conditions and such oppression that is an insult to their dignity. As related by themselves: "We bind ourselves into hard labor which most locals don’t want" (China Post, Dec. 13, 1988, letter of Dec. 12, 1988). Because the number of foreign workers residing illegally in the country is so large, the Police Authorities offer a reward for their arrest. Anyone who gives information leading to the arrest of one foreign worker receives 1,000 local dollars. Anyone who brings one foreign worker to the police station receives 1,200 dollars. On the other hand our country faces a serious labor shortage. For example, the textile and garment industry cannot maintain its normal level of production because it is short of 120,000 workers. Many public construction projects are behind schedule because of a shortage of 200,000 laborers. It is an undeniable fact that many industrial leaders appealed several times to the government to allow them to hire foreign workers. Rights and Dignity of the Person "Every person has the right to change his residence and his work as well as the right to migrate freely. This is the concrete expression of human dignity and freedom" (Pontifical Commission for Migration and Tourism, Rome, 1988). In the course of history this right has often become an urgent need. War, hunger, poverty, disasters forced large numbers of people to leave their families, their friends and their country in search of a living in distant foreign lands. In foreign lands it is not easy for the migrant to earn a living and he experiences hardships because of the differences in race, language, culture and customs. It is difficult to imagine these hardships if one have not experienced them personally. Way back in the early stages of migration to Southeast Asia and overseas, our compatriots went through this experience. To the Legislators and Magistrates We sincerely beg the legislators and magistrates concerned to examine this ever more serious problem of the foreign workers and, from a humane point of view, to search for a solution that is compassionate, reasonable and in conformity with the laws. In fact, since our country experiences a shortage of labor and since many illegal laborers are already in our country, our legislation should legalize their presence and thus also assist the normal development of our industry and trade. This would allow the foreign workers to come out of hiding and live legally in the open, to enjoy their rights and meet their legal obligations, to pay their taxes and lead a free, happy life worthy of a human being. After such a law is passed, it an amnesty can be granted, the workers who are illegal residents would be allowed to register again and their work would be protected. This would put an end to many forms of exploitation, tax evasion and other violations of the law. It would help our industrial development and also improve our relations with Southeast Asian countries while giving us the possibility of asking other countries to give equal treatment to our citizens abroad. To the Employers The employers in our industrial and commercial enterprises made an important contribution to our economic development by investigating their wisdom, capital, technical knowledge, equipment, management skills, etc. The great majority of employers make a reasonable profit by normal and legal means. However some persons, little concerned with the law, earn unjust profits by deception, exploitation and other devious ways. Such people build their happiness on the sufferings of others. But wealth that is accumulated by cheating and exploitation, it if comes fast, disappears just as fast. Great industrialists with a vision always pay attention to the welfare and the just retribution of their workers. It is only when the workers receive a reasonable and just salary as well as liberal benefits that they can become aware of their human dignity and of the value of their work. Then they feel responsible and respected, and they work conscientiously, thus also bringing great benefits to the employer. To the Foreign Workers We understand and sympathize deeply with your painful situation. The need to earn a living for yourself and your family forced you to leave your wife or husband, your children and your home to come to a foreign land and live among people of a different race with a different language, a different culture and different customs, your heart filled with homesickness and worries. When you left your home you had to borrow at high interest rates the price of your travel and your documents. Arriving in Taiwan you suffered the worries of finding a decent work, the pressure of the work and also deception and exploitation from some employers. All this makes you feel lonely, helpless, depressed, without hope, inferior and a failure, to the extent of giving up. Your only consolation is that you can earn a little more than in your country and send it home to support your family. In the old and the New Testament there are many examples of migration. The people of Israel resided a long time in Egypt to earn a living. St. Joseph also, with the Holy Family, escaped to Egypt and worked there. After the Ascension, Jesus’ apostles scattered all over the world, working and announcing the good news. You, foreign workers who are disciples of Jesus, if you can show the spirit of Christ in your life and your work, will be the messengers of the Gospel, spreading the good news of the kingdom. The Roman Empire was converted by foreign workers, slaves, soldiers and merchants who were believers in Christ. Most of you are law-abiding people, it is only the necessity of earning a living that forced you to overstay your visa and remain here illegally. We hope that, after a government amnesty, you will be allowed to stay in our country and work legally and that you will observe the law, while accepting its obligations. To the Parishes For the Catholic foreign workers, the parish is the most appropriate place to hold their religious and social activities. For the non-Catholics, it is also an appropriate place for social activities as well as for getting acquainted with our faith. Where there are foreign workers, the parish should establish a committee that will care for them, planning pastoral and apostolic work, organizing hospitality and visits, as well as welcoming new arrivals and sending-off departing workers. This will not only be beneficial to the foreign workers but it will also increase the pastoral and apostolic vitality of the parish. Conclusion The presence of foreign workers is a common phenomenon in industrialized countries. Its root reasons are the unequal degree of development of different countries, the manipulations of some multinational companies, the imbalance between markets and between demand and supply of manpower, as well as natural disasters, racial conflicts, political corruption, the oppression of war, etc. In the past our country also produced a large number of foreign workers, they experienced all the hardships that foreign workers are at present experiencing here. Now that our country has been blessed and has joined the ranks of the developed countries, we must sympathize with the foreign workers in the our midst in the generous spirit of "Within the Four Seas we are all Brothers" and following the invitation of Christ to "Love our Brothers as Ourselves," we must give them a chance to stay here and work, and we must share with them some of the wealth with which Heaven has blessed us. My dear brothers and sisters in the Faith, let us all extend a helping hand to the foreign workers who are away from their homes and families and assist them to obtain the legal right to stay and work here and enjoy a life worthy of God’s children and respectful of the dignity of human beings. May God bless you! All the Bishops of the Chinese Regional Bishops’ Conference February 6, 1989

The employers in our industrial and commercial enterprises made an important contribution to our economic development by investigating their wisdom, capital, technical knowledge, equipment, management skills, etc. The great majority of employers make a reasonable profit by normal and legal means. However some persons, little concerned with the law, earn unjust profits by deception, exploitation and other devious ways. Such people build their happiness on the sufferings of others. But wealth that is accumulated by cheating and exploitation, it if comes fast, disappears just as fast.
Great industrialists with a vision always pay attention to the welfare and the just retribution of their workers. It is only when the workers receive a reasonable and just salary as well as liberal benefits that they can become aware of their human dignity and of the value of their work. Then they feel responsible and respected, and they work conscientiously, thus also bringing great benefits to the employer.

We understand and sympathize deeply with your painful situation. The need to earn a living for yourself and your family forced you to leave your wife or husband, your children and your home to come to a foreign land and live among people of a different race with a different language, a different culture and different customs, your heart filled with homesickness and worries. When you left your home you had to borrow at high interest rates the price of your travel and your documents. Arriving in Taiwan you suffered the worries of finding a decent work, the pressure of the work and also deception and exploitation from some employers. All this makes you feel lonely, helpless, depressed, without hope, inferior and a failure, to the extent of giving up. Your only consolation is that you can earn a little more than in your country and send it home to support your family.

In the old and the New Testament there are many examples of migration. The people of Israel resided a long time in Egypt to earn a living. St. Joseph also, with the Holy Family, escaped to Egypt and worked there. After the Ascension, Jesus’ apostles scattered all over the world, working and announcing the good news. You, foreign workers who are disciples of Jesus, if you can show the spirit of Christ in your life and your work, will be the messengers of the Gospel, spreading the good news of the kingdom. The Roman Empire was converted by foreign workers, slaves, soldiers and merchants who were believers in Christ. Most of you are law-abiding people, it is only the necessity of earning a living that forced you to overstay your visa and remain here illegally. We hope that, after a government amnesty, you will be allowed to stay in our country and work legally and that you will observe the law, while accepting its obligations.

For the Catholic foreign workers, the parish is the most appropriate place to hold their religious and social activities. For the non-Catholics, it is also an appropriate place for social activities as well as for getting acquainted with our faith.

Where there are foreign workers, the parish should establish a committee that will care for them, planning pastoral and apostolic work, organizing hospitality and visits, as well as welcoming new arrivals and sending-off departing workers. This will not only be beneficial to the foreign workers but it will also increase the pastoral and apostolic vitality of the parish.

The presence of foreign workers is a common phenomenon in industrialized countries. Its root reasons are the unequal degree of development of different countries, the manipulations of some multinational companies, the imbalance between markets and between demand and supply of manpower, as well as natural disasters, racial conflicts, political corruption, the oppression of war, etc.

In the past our country also produced a large number of foreign workers, they experienced all the hardships that foreign workers are at present experiencing here. Now that our country has been blessed and has joined the ranks of the developed countries, we must sympathize with the foreign workers in the our midst in the generous spirit of "Within the Four Seas we are all Brothers" and following the invitation of Christ to "Love our Brothers as Ourselves," we must give them a chance to stay here and work, and we must share with them some of the wealth with which Heaven has blessed us.

My dear brothers and sisters in the Faith, let us all extend a helping hand to the foreign workers who are away from their homes and families and assist them to obtain the legal right to stay and work here and enjoy a life worthy of God’s children and respectful of the dignity of human beings.
May God bless you!