Dharamsala, Jan. 9: According a report by Taipei Times, Tibetans illegally residing in Taiwan may soon be granted Alien Resident Certificates (ARC) after the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucuses yesterday reached an agreement on revising the Immigration Act.
“This is a big day for our country, that lawmakers belonging to different political parties could work together and stand behind the universal values of human rights,” DPP Legislator Tien Chiu-chin told a news conference at the Legislative Yuan after negotiators from the two parties reached a consensus.
“I would like to extend a warm welcome — on behalf of all Taiwanese — to you, and apologize that it took such a long time,” Tien said to the Tibetan representatives who attended the press conference.
According to the amendment, Tibetans who came to Taiwan between 1999 and the end of last year on Indian or Nepalese passports can be issued ARCs after the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission (MTAC) confirms their identities.
Last month, a group of more than 100 Tibetans who came to Taiwan between five and six years ago on staged a sit-in at Liberty Square in Taipei, pleading for the government to grant them asylum.
After several rounds of negotiations, the government agreed to revise the Immigration Act to grant them residency and issue temporary ARCs until the law is amended.
“The revision will be passed before the legislature goes into recess next Tuesday if nothing goes wrong,” Tien’s office said.
A Tibetan without legal status told the Taipei Timeson December 12 last year that he made about NT$10,000 (US$299) a month doing part-time jobs and lived with 13 other Tibetans in an 85m² apartment with one living room and two bedrooms.
Kunsang Lhundup, a Tibetan who has lived in Taiwan without legal status for six years, said he was excited to hear the news.
“I feel like a dream is about to come true,” he said.
The Tibetans were to be issued temporary ARCs yesterday.
But not everyone welcomed the decision.
A Tibet support activist who seeks complete independence for Tibet said on the condition of anonymity that attending to the Tibetans’ problem by revising Article 16 would mean that the Tibetans are considered ROC nationals in exile by the Taiwanese government.
“Article 16 of the Immigration Act falls under the chapter that deals with Republic of China [ROC] nationals, while immigration issues related to foreigners are in the next chapter.”
There are about 110 Tibetans living in the island nation without legal status.
