Indonesian Caregiver’s ‘Double Duties’ at Lunchbox Shop Raise Rights Concerns

Changhua: When Indonesian caregiver Susi (a pseudonym) first arrived in Taiwan in April 2024, she anticipated that her new job would enable her to support her child and ailing mother back home. However, her experience in Taiwan unfolded as a period marked by exhaustion and isolation, in circumstances that human rights advocates argue raise serious concerns and could potentially amount to forced labor. According to Focus Taiwan, Susi was hired as a live-in caregiver for her employer's paralyzed father but soon found herself shouldering "double duties." These duties involved shuttling between caregiving and working at the family's lunchbox shop located in Changhua County, central Taiwan. Such assignments are illegal in Taiwan, where employers are prohibited from assigning tasks to migrant workers that are not covered by their work permits. Susi recounted that at the behest of "Ama," her employer's mother, she was made to cook and clean for long hours at the shop and was required to handle pork, despite her be ing Muslim. Her daily routine typically extended from 6 a.m. to midnight, with only a brief break in the afternoon. These demanding duties left Susi physically drained and mentally stressed, as she also had to care for the employer's elderly father. She described her fear of Ama, who she said was harsh and prone to shouting. For about 20 months, Susi lived in a shopfront home, which doubled as her workplace, and was frequently barred from leaving the premises and forbidden from using her phone at work. Despite reaching out to her labor brokerage, she was met with discouragement and was advised against reporting her situation to Taiwan's 1955 labor hotline. A turning point arrived in mid-November 2025 when she encountered an activist from the Indonesian workers' solidarity group, GANAS Community. With encouragement, Susi lodged a complaint with the 1955 hotline, leading to an intervention by Changhua County labor officials who relocated her to a government shelter. She remained there until February this year when she was transferred to a new employer through a different labor brokerage. The Changhua Labor Affairs Department confirmed that the employer was fined for violating the Employment Service Act but did not disclose the fine amount. Taiwanese law stipulates that employers who force foreign workers to perform tasks outside their work contracts face penalties ranging from NT$30,000 to NT$150,000. However, the department did not find evidence of other abuses such as excessive working hours, surveillance, and confinement during its inspection. Further insights from the Ministry of Labor (MOL) reveal that Taiwan hosts over 886,000 migrant workers, with around 350 cases annually involving violations of employment permits. GANAS chairperson Fajar estimates that nine out of ten Indonesian caregivers face some form of out-of-scope work, with many cases going unreported due to fear or lack of awareness. Fajar advocates for clearer pre-departure education by the Indonesian government and tougher measures against re peat violations, including higher penalties and criminal sanctions. Additionally, she suggests screening employers before allowing them to hire caregivers. Chen Hsiu-lien from the Taiwan International Workers' Association (TIWA) calls for reforms in the private labor brokerage system, advocating for government-led job matching and direct hiring to better address workers' complaints. She also urges stronger training for local labor authorities to recognize forced labor indicators. These findings highlight a significant gap between Taiwan's international human rights image and the protection of migrant workers, emphasizing the need for systemic reforms to prevent abuse.