TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Interior (MOI) on Wednesday (Nov. 8) said that contrary to claims that Taiwan is seeing an exodus of people due to fears of a Chinese invasion, the number of new immigrants to the country increased by nearly 25% over recent years.

During a session of the Legislative Yuan's Foreign and National Defense Committee, a legislator claimed, "Worries about a war among Taiwanese nationals has caused business for immigration companies to skyrocket," reported NOWnews. However, the MOI debunked these claims by pointing out that the number of new immigrants has increased by approximately 25% over the past five years, and last year, the number of new foreign residents reached a new high.

Through a press release issued on Wednesday, the MOI said the number of new foreign residents has gone from 68,757 in 2018 to 85,814 in 2022, a growth rate of 24.8%. In the same time, the number of people leaving the country has not increased.

The MOI said to attract outstanding foreign talent to serve in Taiwan, regulations have been amended and relaxed. For example, foreign residents who apply for permanent residence in Taiwan can be exempted from one to two years of residence based on their academic qualifications.

High-level professionals applying for naturalization are no longer required to renounce their original nationality. Also, measures such as providing foreign students with a job-search period of up to two years after graduation have been implemented to create a welcoming environment for foreign residents.

The ministry said that Taiwan's industrial and economic environment has boomed in recent years, and received worldwide recognition, particularly for its performance during the pandemic.