The first group of Indonesian migrant workers to be allowed to enter Taiwan since an entry ban was lifted could arrive as early as Wednesday, Labor Minister Hsu Ming-chun (???) said on Monday.

Taiwan lifted its entry ban on migrant workers from Indonesia on Nov. 11, after banning entry for the migrants in December 2020 in response to a surge in COVID-19 cases imported from the Southeast Asian country.

So far, a total of 109 migrant workers from Indonesia have registered their information with the Ministry of Labor (MOL) in preparation for entering Taiwan.

All of the migrants are set to work as domestic caregivers and 96 of them have been assigned rooms at government quarantine centers, Hsu told reporters.

The first group of 11 Indonesian migrant workers among those who have registered with the MOL, could arrive in Taiwan as early as Wednesday, Hsu said.

Hsu added that seven of the 96 migrants who have been allocated quarantine accommodation have not received any doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, but they could get vaccinated in Taiwan in accordance with Central Epidemic Command Center regulations.

Migrant workers from other countries without Taiwanese residency are currently still barred from entering Taiwan, as part of tighter entry regulations implemented on May 19.

The MOL said on Nov. 11 that it is discussing the issue of migrant worker entry with the governments of Vietnam, the Philippines, and Thailand, and Thailand will likely be the next country from which migrant workers are allowed in.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel