Taipei City Police Department

     At 2:10 a.m. on May 10th, while patrolling Section 5 of Roosevelt Rd., officers Xu and Zhong observed two individuals riding a scooter off the road, violating traffic regulations. To issue a citation, the officers approached the scooter. Upon seeing the officers, the female passenger immediately dismounted and walked in the opposite direction. With reasonable suspicion, the officers stopped the riders to verify their identities.

     Although the rider, who claimed to be unacquainted with the female passenger, was able to present his identification documents, which were normal, the female passenger, a foreigner, could not; both parties tried to blame the other. Hesitant to show her ID and delaying by calling a friend, and even attempting to flee, she was ultimately taken to the Taipei City Specialized Operation Brigades of the National Immigration Agency (N.I.A.) for biometric identification. Results revealed her identity as an undocumented migrant worker who had overstayed for 2,044 days. Consequently, she was handed over to the N.I.A. for detention and deportation.

     In an effort to strengthen immigration management, amendments to the Immigration Act were enacted on May 30th, 2023, increasing fines for foreigners overstaying their visas to between NT$10,000 and NT$50,000. The period of re-entry prohibition has also been extended to a maximum of seven years. Taipei City Police Department urges citizens not to illegally employ or harbor foreign nationals who have overstayed. Besides the legislative efforts, ongoing multilateral investigative efforts will continue to protect law and order and uphold the integrity of immigration laws.