TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s labor ministry issued an apology on Tuesday (March 5) after Minister Hsu Ming-chun (許銘春) said Taiwan would first recruit Indian migrant workers who ate similar foods and had a similar skin color to Taiwanese.

“Labor minister Hsu mentioned phrases such as ‘similar skin color,’” the statement provided to Taiwan News said. The ministry said Hsu did not intend to discriminate against Indian people, though it acknowledged the comments had been perceived in this way.

“We will earnestly review and improve, and express our sincere apologies,” the statement said.

The apology followed a similar statement from the foreign ministry on Monday evening. “Recently, in discussions with relevant sectors in Taiwan’s society, certain government agencies have made remarks that were not entirely appropriate,” the ministry said.

“The government expresses sincere apologies for this situation. It will earnestly review its actions and make needed improvements going forward,” the statement read.

Labor Minister Hsu made the statement on Friday (March 1), saying the first migrant workers who would come to Taiwan after a possible future agreement is signed with India would be from India’s northeast. Hsu said that the foreign ministry had informed her that people from that region, in addition to having a similar skin color and dietary habits to Taiwanese people, were also mostly Christian.

While they did not excuse the comments, prominent members of the Indian community in Taiwan told Taiwan News that they did not feel the comments were made with malice.

Postdoctoral Fellow at the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation Sana Hashmi told Taiwan News that she did not expect this kind of comment from Taiwan, though stressed that she hoped the recent efforts to advance bilateral relations would not be overshadowed. “I think there are a lot of people who are trying to rationalize (the comments), on the Indian side as well," she said. 

“So this actually tells you the depth of how Indians view Taiwan,” Hashmi said. However, she said the labor minister’s comments have the potential to harm relations between both sides.

Hashmi spoke to Taiwan News one day after returning from a visit to India. “I was there, I was talking to people. There was improvement in terms of awareness. People knew about Taiwan this time,” she said.

“But when you hear something like this as an Indian, the first thought that would come to people’s mind is, ‘Why should we support Taiwan?’"

She emphasized that dietary habits and religious affiliation should not affect immigration decisions, though added: "If you just forget about everything, the context, and background, the basic point is that this is just not acceptable. It is inappropriate, and (Labor Minister Hsu) shouldn't have said it.”

Indian-born long-term resident of Taiwan and interpreter, Priya Lalwani Purswaney, told Taiwan News that she found the labor minister’s comments surprising. However, she said she did not want to see recent efforts to advance bilateral cooperation diminished as a result.

”We know the comment was not meant to offend anyone, but it may be perceived as such.” she said. Purswaney said that shining a light on racial issues in Taiwan is positive, but that she does not want to see such comments snowball.

“I think the Ministry of Labor has got the message and will be careful in the future," she said. 

The controversy followed a response from the Taiwanese public to unverified claims that 100,000 Indian migrant workers would be granted Taiwan visas. The controversy came shortly after news of a preliminary agreement on the subject between the two governments emerged in November.

Purswaney told Taiwan News that the 100,000 figure was unrealistic, and emphasized that it had not been confirmed by either side. “I think what scared the Taiwanese people was the number, but no one knows where the number came from,” she said.

Taiwan currently utilizes the labor of around 700,000 migrants, of whom the majority are from Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Thailand. Labor shortages have led to increased demand for migrant workers, and Taiwan’s government is pursuing an agreement with the Indian government to open pathways for more labor migration.