Taipei: A labor broker has been fined more than NT$10 million (US$318,000) for illegally charging migrant workers job-placement fees, marking the highest penalty ever imposed in such a case, the Ministry of Labor (MOL) announced Wednesday. The broker reportedly collected around NT$1 million in excess fees under the guise of end-of-contract transfers or contract renewal fees, according to MOL official Su Yu-kuo during a news conference.

According to Focus Taiwan, the illegal conduct was deemed clear-cut, prompting the local government to impose the hefty fine. Under the Employment Service Act, brokers are permitted to charge employers registration and placement fees, while migrant workers can only be charged service fees. The current regulations stipulate that service fees are capped at NT$1,800 per month in the first year after a worker's arrival in Taiwan, NT$1,700 in the second year, and NT$1,500 from the third year onward.

Charging migrant workers job-placement fees, locally known as "job-buying fees," is not permissible under the law. In addition to the fine, Su stated that the ministry would impose a business suspension of up to one year on the broker in accordance with the act.

When queried by CNA for additional details, Su refrained from revealing the number of affected workers, their nationalities, or the identity of the broker involved. However, a search of the MOL's Workforce Development Agency database by CNA revealed that a Taichung-based broker was fined NT$12.7 million by the Taoyuan City Government on November 25 for a violation similar to the one described by Su.

Su did not confirm whether the more than NT$1 million in over-collected fees had been refunded, noting that he would "need to look into that detail." The ministry launched an investigation into the broker following complaints from a civic group alleging that the company had illegally charged migrant workers fees. Su did not provide specifics on when the complaints were filed or the duration of the investigation, stating only that the case occurred "in recent months."

This year, 10 brokers have been found to have illegally overcharged migrant workers and have faced fines from local governments. Authorities have conducted over 2,200 inspections targeting such violations in 2025 and plan to conduct 2,500 inspections next year.

Su urged brokers to adhere to the law and encouraged migrant workers who are asked to pay job-placement fees when seeking to switch employers to call the ministry's 1955 Hotline for advice or to file a complaint.