TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Migrant workers furloughed because of US tariffs should be allowed to fill up workforce shortfalls in agriculture, lawmakers said Thursday.

DPP Legislator Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) made the suggestion at a legislative committee meeting, per CNA. However, Labor Minister Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) said the proposal needed more consideration, as the Employment Service Act limits migrant workers to one employer.

Chung said that many foreign laborers employed in industry had been suspended without recourse to any government support programs. At the same time, the Ministry of Agriculture had submitted a framework to allow migrant workers from industry to help out with agriculture, the Pingtung lawmaker said. He questioned why a second job was possible for Taiwanese employees but not for migrant workers.

Ministry of Labor officials replied the ban on foreign labor to work in a sector not stipulated by their license served to safeguard the employment rights of Taiwanese. Chung argued that having the migrant workers assist farmers who were short of labor would not have any impact on the employment of locals.