MARRIAGE MIGRANTS as Caregivers and Seniors (2 of 3)

An online forum on Marriage Migrants as Caregivers and Seniors was held last September 9, 2023. The forum aims to build an understanding of marriage migrant situation as Caregivers and Seniors and to consider actions to advocate and campaign for their rights as Caregivers and Seniors. Prof. Hsia Hsiao-Chuan, Chairperson of AMMORE made the welcome remarks. Hosted by Jane Brock of AMMORE, the forum started by spotlighting marriage migrants in Taiwan through the experiences of TransAsia Sisters Association of Taiwan (TASAT) which has long been campaigning and organizing with and for marriage migrants of different nationalities. The main part of the program is Manchih Hung's sharing on the situation of marriage migrants in Taiwan. Machih is currently the chairperson of TASAT and is a marriage migrant from Vietnam who has been residing in Taiwan for 25 years. Senior immigrants who have been caregivers for a long time in Taiwan face emerging challenges. There is a shortage of long-term care facilities and services in Taiwan which makes it difficult for senior immigrants to access the care that they need. The application process is also complex and time-consuming for senior immigrants. There is also a lack of non-Mandarin materials that are difficult to access for seniors who do not speak the language. Despite these challenges, people's organizations have struggled for exemplary achievements. First discussed was the amendment of the Immigration Act in 2007 which abolished the requirement for marriage migrants to have financial sponsorships from their spouses. The amendment of the laws and policies for Mainland Chinese marriage migrants in 2008 also made residency and citizenship more accessible. The amendment of the Nationality Act in 2016 allowed children of marriage migrants to acquire Taiwanese citizenship at birth. These achievements would not be possible without the hard work and struggle of people's organizations. TASAT in particular, is a non-profit organization that works to empower migrant women in Taiwan. The organization's primary areas of work are grassroots organizing, public education, and advocacy for laws and policies. This online forum is the second of the 3 sessions AMMORE and APMM are holding to amplify the campaign on the rights of marriage migrants in the Asia-Pacific region. It was attended by participants from all over Asia Pacific from Australia, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and the Philippines.