TAIPEI: Taiwan's Ministry of Labor (MOL) announced plans to hold a second working group-level meeting with India by the end of February to further discuss a plan for recruiting Indian migrant workers. The two nations had signed a memorandum of understanding in February last year, signifying mutual interest in allowing Indian workers to work in Taiwan.

According to Focus Taiwan, the first meeting between the working groups of both countries took place on November 8 of the previous year, where a preliminary cap of 1,000 Indian workers was set for the early stages of the initiative. These workers are to be prioritized for roles in traditional manufacturing, with 5 percent of the quota being recruited through direct hiring.

Chuang Kuo-liang, deputy head of the Workforce Development Agency's (WDA) Cross-Border Workforce Management Division under the MOL, stated that although a date has not been confirmed by relevant Indian agencies, the second meeting is likely to occur by the end of February. This meeting aims to discuss details of the previous agreements, including the direct hiring systems used by both countries.

Chuang noted that the WDA intends to inquire with India's Protector General of Emigrants about the eMigrate 2.0 portal, which will be used for processing cases of Indian workers under the direct hiring scheme. This direct hiring process in Taiwan is overseen by the Direct Hiring Service Center under the WDA, allowing employers in sectors like domestic care, long-term care, manufacturing, distant-water fishing, and construction to customize their hiring plans.

Despite the direct hiring options, manpower brokers continue to control the majority of job openings for blue-collar migrant workers in Taiwan, as per the Direct Hiring Service Center. The initiative to recruit workers from India is part of a broader strategy that already includes workers from Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand.