TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A number of overseas Taiwanese in Italy have claimed they were mistreated by personnel at the Taipei Representative Office and demanded the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) address the issue.
The group of Taiwanese set up a Facebook page in September called “Joint statement against mistreatment by the Taipei Representative Office in Italy,” detailing 10 accounts of unpleasant experiences with office personnel, CNA reported.
Chung Su-wen (鍾淑文), the leader of the group, said they hope MOFA will not only resolve the matter but also investigate and clarify with those responsible to confirm whether these incidents occurred.
MOFA spokesperson Joanne Ou (歐江安), said most of the cases mentioned on the Facebook page occurred when Taiwan had to adopt stricter border control measures due to the pandemic. During this time, relevant entry permits and visa issuance procedures were more complicated than before, she said.
Nonetheless, MOFA and the Taipei Representative Office in Italy should do better if the misunderstandings or unpleasant situations were caused by personnel while communicating with Taiwan citizens, Ou said. In this case, the ministry and the representative office in Italy will re-examine the work procedures of the office as soon as possible and make further adjustments regarding personnel, she said.
MOFA will continue to improve the quality of consular services provided by diplomatic missions abroad, including fully and effectively communicating with the applicants, actively assisting people with their needs, and implementing the Taiwan government's consistent spirit of "serving the people," the spokesperson added.