【美國在臺協會】美國2016年人口販運問題報告 台灣部分(中英版本)

台灣是強迫勞動和性販運受害男女被送往的目的地；雖較為少見，但也有一些強迫勞動的受害男女以及性販運的受害婦女和兒童來自台灣。台灣的人口販運被害人大多是來自印尼、菲律賓、泰國、和越南的外籍勞工，少數來自中國和柬埔寨。台灣逾587,000名的外籍勞工多數透過招聘機構及仲介掮客在母國被僱用，有些招聘機構和仲介掮客是來自台灣，招攬這些外籍勞工來台從事低技術工作，如充當家庭看護和家庭幫傭，或從事農漁業、製造業、和營造業。有些外籍勞工被收取高額的招募費用，導致其債台高築，仲介或僱主因此得以用債務相威脅，以獲得或留住外勞爲其勞動。許多在台灣的外勞在被扣除需償還的費用後，剩餘的所得遠低於法定最低工資。由於家庭幫傭和看護通常都與僱主同住，難以追蹤他們的勞動條件與生活環境，讓他們特別容易淪為剝削的受害者。台灣的勞力仲介經常幫助僱主強制遣送提出申訴的「問題」外勞，以其缺額引進新的外勞，並繼續以債務控制外勞。來自中國、印尼、和越南等地在台灣漁船上工作的外籍勞工，無論是否登記在案，許多都有遭到販運的跡象，如僱主未給薪或薪資給付不足、工時過長、身體虐待、供餐不足、及生活條件惡劣。有些來自中國和東南亞國家的婦女，因為假結婚或不實受僱機會而受騙來台，實則進行性販運。有報導指出來自台灣的男女在海外從事不法商業行為，疑似遭到人口販運；有些台灣女性則受到誘騙到美國後被迫賣淫。

台灣當局完全符合消除人口販運問題的最低標準。在本報告期間，當局持續起訴包括強迫勞動和性販運在內的販運罪行；針對人口販運的指標訓練執法人員和其他官員；讓直接聘僱的系統更為普及；針對外籍漁工在台灣漁船上遭到販運的案例，頒布跨部會的處理程序；以及提升公眾對於人口販運犯罪的認識。然而當局並未就發生在台灣漁船上的人口販運情節進行逮捕或定罪。對於很多可能涉及人口販運的案子，檢察官和法官依然未將其視為嚴重的犯罪，最後的判刑也過輕。

對台灣的建議：

以台灣的防制人口販運立法為本，增加對人口販運罪犯的起訴和定罪；被定罪的人口販運罪犯應被處以足夠嚴厲的刑罰；使用新建立的程序積極調查並起訴涉嫌在遠洋漁船上虐待或販運漁工的台灣船公司或台灣籍漁船；清楚界定監管台灣籍漁船的政府機構之角色和權責；將辨識被害人的程序與犯罪的起訴劃分開來，被害人的辨識跟能否成功起訴人口販運罪犯應該分別處理；藉由簡化直接聘僱外籍勞工的程序，向大眾推廣直接聘僱聯合服務中心，以及強化人力仲介的評估和問責系統，進一步減少外籍勞工被仲介剝削的情況；提升防制人口販運的訓練成效，同時增進檢察官和法官對於人口販運的認識；推動修法，將家庭看護和幫傭納入基本勞工權益的保障範圍；建立系統化的資訊共享程序，以強化打擊人口販運的跨部會合作；增加跨境的被害人辨識和罪犯起訴作為；以及持續提升公眾對於各種形式人口販運的認識。

起訴

台灣當局持續從執法層面上打擊人口販運。台灣的《人口販運防制法》禁止性販運和勞動販運，最高可處七年有期徒刑，刑罰嚴厲，與強暴等重大刑事犯罪刑責相當。雖有《人口販運防制法》的存在，當局大多依其他法規起訴人口販運的案件，如《刑法》和《兒童及少年性交易防制條例》。

當局依《人口販運防制法》起訴了30名人口販運的嫌犯，將22人定罪；2014年則是起訴了71人，將17人定罪；多數罪犯被處以六個月以上、一年以下之有期徒刑，判刑過輕難以有效嚇阻販運行為。當局依《兒童及少年性交易防制條例》起訴了30名嫌犯，將31人定罪；2014年則起訴了57人，將25人定罪；大多被判處三到五年不等之有期徒刑。當局依《刑法》起訴了50名涉及人口販運的嫌犯，2014年則起訴了9人。柬埔寨法院在2014年判決六名台灣人在台灣漁船上奴役74名柬埔寨籍漁工罪名成立，不過截至本報告期間結束為止，台灣方面仍在進行調查，當局尚未將任何涉及本案的人口販運罪犯定罪（六人之中仍有五人在台灣境內潛逃）。在本報告年度內，當局持續透過各種工作坊、研討會、和專題會議訓練執法人員、檢察官、和法官，然而許多檢察官和法官仍然對人口販運犯罪認識不足。配合內政部的「加強查緝性犯罪計畫」，台灣警方逮捕了超過10,000名被控有淫蕩和猥褻動作的嫌犯。台灣當局並未呈報任何台灣官員因涉及人口販運而遭調查、起訴、或判刑的案例。

保護

當局延續了保護人口販運被害人的作為。台灣當局在本報告期間辨識了278名人口販運的被害人（197人為性販運被害人，81人為強迫勞動被害人），其中192人被轉介至收容所以獲得後續協助；2014年則辨識了292人。執法人員使用標準化的問題和評量表來訪問可能的人口販運被害人並進行轉介，包括對違反入出境規定的外國人進行過濾，判斷是否有遭到販運的跡象。有三家收容所是由移民署所營運，專門收容人口販運的被害人；勞動部則資助了其他20家收容所，以及24小時的人口販運被害人求助專線。這些收容所提供男女人口販運被害人醫療服務暨心理輔導、法律諮詢、職業訓練、小額津貼、口譯服務、與遣返協助。當局藉由提供臨時居留證與短期工作證，鼓勵被害人參與舉發其人口販運加害人的調查。返回母國恐遭報復或處境艱難的被害人，有機會獲得台灣的永久居留權。被害人可以向加害人求償或提起民事訴訟，在本報告期間有一名被害人獲得民事賠償。遭到販運而不慎涉及犯罪的被害人可獲得豁免權，然而非政府組織宣稱，人口販運的被害人有時仍被當作罪犯對待。非政府組織也注意到，若法院判決來自中國的被害人並非人口販運的被害人，當局就不讓他們住在不是由移民署營運的收容所，並且立刻會遭到遣返；反之來自其他國家的被害人則可以住在非政府組織經營的收容所，即便法官已判定他們不是人口販運的被害人。

預防

台灣當局持續透過各種宣導活動、工作坊、和研討會來防制人口販運。一名行政院政務委員繼續負責執行全台的防制人口販運行動計畫，以及主持跨部會的工作小組，工作小組在2015年召開了兩次會議。多個政府單位持續撥出經費製作防制人口販運的廣告與公告，刊登或發布於報章雜誌和電台；廣為發送防制人口販運的資訊；為特別容易受害的族群舉行講座，如青少年、外籍配偶、和漁工。當局持續在全台各地設有外籍勞工服務站和國際機場服務櫃檯，以協助外籍勞工，教導其認識自身權益。為因應與勞力招募相關的剝削問題，當局依非法從事仲介活動及超收費用對89人處以罰鍰，並勒令其中12人不得再從事仲介活動。當局簡化透過直接聘僱聯合服務中心直接僱用外勞的程序，希望讓僱主不用透過仲介就可以僱用勞工，然而僱主仍認為透過仲介僱用外勞較為便捷。台灣的法律雖將台灣護照持有人在海外發生的兒童性剝削行為視為犯罪，但是自2006年以來，當局並未以在境外從事兒童性觀光為罪名調查或起訴任何人。當局持續打擊性交易與強迫勞動的問題。當局為外交人員提供防制人口販運的訓練。

Taiwan is a destination for men and women subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking and, to a lesser extent, a source of men and women subjected to forced labor and of women and children subjected to sex trafficking. Most trafficking victims are migrant workers from Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and to a lesser extent, individuals from China and Cambodia. Most of Taiwan’s more than 587,000 migrant workers are hired in their home countries through recruitment agencies and brokers, some of which are from Taiwan, to perform low-skilled work as home caregivers and domestic workers, or in farming, manufacturing, construction, and fishing industries. Some migrant workers are charged exorbitantly high recruitment fees, resulting in substantial debts used by brokers or employers as tools of coercion to obtain or retain their labor. After recruitment fee repayments are garnished from their wages, many foreign workers in Taiwan earn significantly less than the minimum wage. Domestic workers and home caregivers are especially vulnerable to exploitation, since they often live in their employers’ residences, making it difficult to monitor their working and living conditions. Brokers in Taiwan often assist employers in forcibly deporting “problematic” foreign employees should they complain, enabling the broker to fill the empty positions with new foreign workers and continually use debt bondage to control the work force. Documented and undocumented fishermen on Taiwan-flagged fishing vessels, mostly from China, Indonesia, and Vietnam, experience non- or under-payment of wages, long working hours, physical abuse, lack of food, and poor living conditions, which are indicators of trafficking. Women from China and Southeast Asian countries are lured to Taiwan through fraudulent marriages and deceptive employment offers for purposes of sex trafficking. There have been reports of men and women from Taiwan engaged in illegal business operations overseas that present indicators of human trafficking, as well as women from Taiwan being lured into forced prostitution in the United States.

Taiwan authorities fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. During the reporting period, authorities continued to prosecute trafficking offenses, including both forced labor and sex trafficking, trained law enforcement and other officials on trafficking indicators, took steps to make the system of direct hiring of employees without the use of brokers more accessible, promulgated interagency procedures for handling cases involving trafficking of foreign workers on fishing vessels, and raised public awareness of trafficking. There were, however, no arrests or convictions for trafficking violations on Taiwan fishing vessels. Prosecutors and judges continued to treat many cases involving trafficking indicators as lesser crimes and, in many cases, sentenced traffickers to lenient penalties not proportionate to the crimes.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TAIWAN:

Increase efforts to prosecute and convict traffickers under Taiwan’s anti-trafficking law; sentence convicted traffickers to sufficiently stringent punishments; vigorously investigate and prosecute, using the newly established procedures, the owners of Taiwan-owned or -flagged fishing vessels that allegedly commit abuse and labor trafficking onboard long haul fishing vessels; clearly define roles and responsibilities for the agencies that oversee Taiwan-flagged fishing vessels; differentiate the process of victim identification from prosecution, such that victim identification is not tied to the successful prosecution of traffickers; increase efforts to reduce brokers’ exploitation of migrant workers by continuing to simplify the process of direct hiring and build public awareness of the Direct Hiring Service Center and by strengthening broker evaluation and accountability systems; improve the effectiveness of anti-trafficking training and increase prosecutors’ and judges’ understanding of human trafficking; pursue legislative changes that would address gaps in basic labor protections for household caregivers and domestic workers; establish a systematic information-sharing process to foster more robust interagency anti-trafficking coordination; enhance cross-border efforts to identify victims and prosecute offenders; and continue efforts to increase public awareness of all forms of trafficking.

PROSECUTION

Authorities sustained anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts. Taiwan’s Human Trafficking Prevention and Control Act (HTPCA) prohibits sex and labor trafficking and prescribes penalties of up to seven years’ imprisonment; these penalties are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with those prescribed for other serious crimes, such as rape. Despite the anti-trafficking law, authorities prosecuted the majority of trafficking cases under other laws, such as the criminal code, and the Children and Youth Sexual Transaction Prevention Act.

Authorities initiated prosecutions against 30 suspected traffickers, compared with 71 in 2014, and convicted 22 traffickers, compared with 17 in 2014, under the HTPCA; sentences imposed on the majority of the traffickers were six months to less than one year, which are inadequate to serve as an effective deterrent to the commission of trafficking crimes. Under the Children and Youth Sexual Transaction Prevention Act, authorities initiated prosecutions against 30 alleged traffickers, compared with 57 in 2014, and convicted 31 traffickers, compared with 25 in 2014, with the majority receiving sentences of three to five years’ imprisonment. Under the criminal code, authorities initiated prosecutions against 50 alleged traffickers, compared with nine in 2014. In 2014 a Cambodian court convicted six Taiwan nationals for enslaving 74 Cambodians onboard Taiwan fishing vessels, but at the end of the reporting period Taiwan’s investigation was still underway, and Taiwan authorities had not convicted any traffickers associated with this case (five of the six remained at-large in Taiwan). During the year, authorities continued to train law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges through various workshops, seminars, and conferences; however, many prosecutors and judges continued to demonstrate a limited understanding of trafficking crimes. As part of the Ministry of the Interior’s action plan to eliminate sexual crime, Taiwan police arrested over 10,000 suspects accused of lewd and lascivious acts. Authorities did not report any investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of Taiwan officials complicit in human trafficking offenses.

PROTECTION

Authorities sustained efforts to protect victims of trafficking. Authorities identified 278 trafficking victims (197 sex trafficking victims and 81 forced labor victims), compared with 292 in 2014; 192 of these victims were referred to shelters for assistance. Law enforcement officials used standardized questions and evaluation forms when interviewing and referring potential trafficking victims, including screening foreigners with immigration violations for indicators of trafficking. The National Immigration Agency (NIA) operated three shelters dedicated to trafficking victims, and the Ministry of Labor subsidized an additional 20 shelters and a 24-hour hotline trafficking victims could access. These shelters provided trafficking victims—both men and women—with medical and psychological services, legal counseling, vocational training, small stipends, interpretation, and repatriation assistance. Authorities encouraged victims to participate in investigations against their traffickers by offering temporary residence and work permits. Authorities made available permanent residence visas to foreign trafficking victims who faced retribution or hardship if they returned to their country of origin. Victims were able to obtain restitution or file civil suits against traffickers, and one victim was awarded civil restitution during the reporting period. Although victims could receive immunity for crimes committed as a result of being subjected to trafficking, NGOs reported authorities occasionally treated trafficking victims as criminals. NGOs also noted authorities did not permit victims from China to stay in non-NIA operated shelters and were deported if courts found them not to be trafficking victims, unlike other victims who could remain in NGO-operated shelters even if a judge determined they were not trafficking victims.

PREVENTION

Authorities sustained efforts to prevent trafficking through numerous awareness campaigns, workshops, and conferences. A cabinet-level minister-without-portfolio continued to implement the national plan of action and oversee an interagency working group, which met twice in 2015. Various agencies continued to fund advertisements and public service announcements on human trafficking prevention in newspapers, magazines, and on the radio; distributed anti-trafficking materials; and held trainings for vulnerable populations, such as youth, foreign spouses, and fishing sector workers. Authorities continued to operate foreign-worker service stations and international airport service counters around Taiwan to assist migrant workers and educate them on their rights. To address exploitation associated with labor recruitment, authorities fined 89 perpetrators in cases of illegal brokerage activities and excessive fees and ordered 12 of those individuals to terminate business operations. Authorities streamlined procedures to allow employers to hire foreign workers directly through the Direct Hiring Service Center, instead of utilizing brokers. Most employers, however, continued to deem it easier and more expedient to hire brokers. Taiwan’s laws criminalize sexual exploitation of children by Taiwan passport holders traveling abroad, but authorities have not investigated or prosecuted any child sex tourism offenses committed abroad since 2006. Authorities made efforts to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts and forced labor. Authorities provided anti-trafficking training for diplomatic personnel.