ENGLISH DIGEST 實用美語(空中美語)

After Taiwan and India signed a memorandum of understanding in 2024, Taiwan’s Ministry of Labor announced that roughly 1,000 Indian migrant workers could arrive as early as the end of this year. The policy immediately sparked fierce online debate, with supporters calling it a remedy for labor shortages while opponents launched petitions urging suspension. The petitions gathered over 30,000 signatures within days.

Three pressures explain why Taiwan is so determined to recruit from India. First, falling birthrates and an aging population have left manufacturers facing a painful paradox: plenty of orders, but too few workers. Second, overreliance on workers from Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand makes labor supplies vulnerable to political or economic disruption. Third, India, one of the world’s foremost labor-exporting nations, is already being considered by countries like Japan. Had Taiwan failed to negotiate with India, it might have lost access to a vital labor source.

Nevertheless, much of the debate has centered on fear rather than policy. Although official figures suggest that sexual violence in India may not be as widespread as online discussions imply, sensational media coverage tends to mistake high-profile cases for general reality. The quiet presence of Indian students and professionals living here without incident goes largely unnoticed. Rather than treating an entire nationality as inherently suspect, people should focus on thorough screening and the rule of law.

Photo: Freepik / 照片：Freepik

What deserves greater attention is the deeper structural flaws this policy may expose. Differences in religion, language and diet will test whether Taiwanese workplaces are genuinely inclusive. More importantly, migrant workers in Taiwan often face unfair conditions, including brokers charging excessive fees and limited freedom to change employers. Without meaningful reform, introducing workers from new countries would be little more than giving a painkiller to a patient whose illness remains untreated.

在臺灣與印度於西元2024年簽署一份勞務合作備忘錄後，臺灣勞動部宣布約有1,000名印度移工最快可能在今年年底抵臺。這項政策立刻引發激烈的網路爭論，支持者稱它是解決勞動力短缺的良方，而反對者則發起請願，呼籲政策中止。請願活動在幾天內就收集到超過30,000人的響應。

有三項壓力可以解釋臺灣為何如此決心要從印度招募移工。首先，出生率下降與人口老化讓製造業者面臨一個棘手的悖論：訂單充足，卻缺乏足夠的人手。第二，過度依賴來自印尼、越南、菲律賓和泰國的工人，使勞動力供應容易受到政治或經濟動盪的影響。第三，身為全球最重要的勞力輸出國之一的印度，已經被日本等國納入考量。若臺灣不與印度展開協商，可能就會失去取得一個重要勞動力來源的機會。

儘管如此，大部分的輿論都著眼於恐懼而非政策上。雖然官方數據顯示印度的性暴力可能沒有如網路討論所暗示的那般普遍，但聳動的新聞報導往往會將備受矚目的案件誤認為普遍現象。那些在臺灣生活的印度學生與專業人士，其平凡且從未釀成事端的日常卻鮮少受到關注。與其把整個國籍視為天生可疑，人們應該把重點放在完善的審查與法治。

更值得關注的是這項政策可能暴露出的更深層的結構性缺陷。宗教、語言與飲食上的差異將考驗臺灣職場是否真正具有包容性。更重要的是，臺灣的移工經常面臨不公平的條件，包括仲介收取過高費用，以及轉換雇主的自由有限。若沒有具意義的改革，從新的國家引進工人，不過是給一位疾病仍未被治療的病人一顆止痛藥而已。

MORE INFORMATION

workforce n. 勞動力；工人

memorandum n. 備忘錄（memorandum of understanding意為「合作備忘錄」，MOU，指由雙方簽署的合作文件，用來確認共同目標與合作意向，並作為後續協商的依據）

suspension n. 中止；暫停

foremost adj. 最重要的

high-profile adj. 引人注目的；備受關注的

broker n. 仲介；代理人

painkiller n. 止痛藥

KEY VOCABULARY

1. migrant adj. 移民的；遷徙的

migrant worker 移工

Rita volunteers to help children from migrant families adjust to their new school.

麗塔擔任志工幫助來自移民家庭的孩子適應新學校。

2. shortage n. 缺乏；短缺

Tony bought extra rice after hearing news reports about a potential food shortage.

湯尼聽到糧食可能短缺的新聞報導後，多買了一些米。

3. petition n. 請願（書）

A petition to preserve the historic building quickly gained thousands of supporters.

一份保存這棟歷史建築的請願書迅速獲得數千人支持。

4. paradox n. 自相矛盾的情況；悖論

Sally finds a paradox in her life: the more online friends she has, the lonelier she feels.

莎莉發現自己生活中有個悖論：她有越多的網路朋友，她卻越感到孤獨。

5. overreliance n. 過分依賴；過度相信

Willy thinks overreliance on technology can reduce people’s problem-solving skills.

威利認為過度依賴科技會削弱人們解決問題的能力。

6. disruption n. 干擾；中斷

Nina’s unexpected resignation caused serious disruption to the entire project timeline.

妮娜突然請辭，對整個專案時程造成嚴重的干擾。

7. coverage n. 新聞報導

The election attracted international coverage from newspapers and television.這場選舉吸引了國際報紙與電視媒體的報導。

8. inherently adv. 本質上地；天性地

Some philosophers argue that humans are inherently social and cannot thrive in isolation.

有些哲學家認為，人類天性上是社會性的，無法在孤立中生存發展。

9. inclusive adj. 具包容性的

Mr. Chen’s classroom is inclusive, and every student feels heard and respected.

陳老師的課堂很有包容性，每個學生都覺得自己被傾聽和尊重。

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