Taiwan remained at Tier 1 in the U.S. Department of State’s 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report for the 16th year running, reflecting global recognition of the government’s efforts to protect human rights, the Ministry of the Interior said.
Among the 188 countries and territories assessed in the report, Taiwan is one of only five countries in the Asia-Pacific at Tier 1, along with Australia, Singapore, South Korea and the Philippines. Regional neighbors Japan and Hong Kong remain in Tier 2 and Tier 2 Watch List, respectively, while China is again in Tier 3.
According to the report released Sept. 29, Taiwanese authorities demonstrated serious, sustained effort to fight exploitation during the reporting period. Examples presented in the report include convicting more traffickers, significantly increasing the number of victims referred to support services, and training officials on the 2024 amendments to the Human Trafficking Prevention and Control Act.
The report proposed 11 recommendations for Taiwan spanning labor law reforms to allow migrant workers to change jobs mid-contract without employer approval and the inclusion of victim-centered screening for forced labor indicators by Taiwan Fisheries Agency personnel based at overseas ports, as well as strengthening general efforts to screen for trafficking among vulnerable populations and addressing gaps in basic labor protections for household caregivers and domestic workers.
In response the MOI said that most of the matters of concern are addressed in the 2025-2026 anti-exploitation action plan launched in March this year, and added that it is working with all relevant agencies to ensure effective implementation of the initiative.
The government will continue to integrate public and private sector resources to combat human trafficking and ensure victim protection, the ministry added. (SFC-E)
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