Despite promises from Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission (MTAC) Minister Kao Su-po (高思博) that more than 100 stateless Tibetan refugees in Taiwan would obtain residency this month, Taiwan Tibetan Welfare Association chairman Jamga (蔣卡) said yesterday that most had yet to hear from the government.
“It’s been half a year and most of the [Tibetan refugees in Taiwan] are still waiting to obtain their residency,” Jamga told the Taipei Times by telephone. “Every time we ask the commission and the National Immigration Agency [NIA], we are told to wait.”
In December, more than 100 Tibetan refugees living in Taiwan without proper documents began a sit-in at Liberty Square in Taipei asking the government to grant them asylum.
Most of the refugees had years ago crossed the Himalayas into Nepal or India and entered Taiwan on visitor visas with forged Nepalese or Indian passports.
Having overstayed their visas, they became illegal residents and since they are stateless, they have no country to be sent back to.
Their pleas were finally heard when in January the Immigration Act (入出國及移民法) was amended at the legislature to grant them residency.
Yet, as most are still waiting to obtain residency, representatives of the Tibetans turned to the MTAC again yesterday
“We all respect and obey to [sic] the [MTAC] and keep on wait[ing],” the Tibetans said in a petition letter written in English and delivered in person to the commission yesterday.
“Now we are entering in July and there is nothing response from any commission or agency,” it said.
“Things are getting delay[ed] and more delay[ed],” the statement said.
Only nine Tibetans who held Identity Certificates — a document issued by the Indian government for Tibetan refugees — were granted residency last month.
Some Tibetans who met MTAC officials said they suspected that the government was intentionally delaying the process for political reasons.
However, commission chief secretary Chien Shih-yin (錢世英), who received the Tibetans, denied those accusations and urged them to be patient.
“We [the MTAC] finished verifying the identities of 115 Tibetan refugees in Taiwan in May and immediately sent all the documents to the NIA,” Chien said. “The NIA then has to do its own checks.”
He said that since only stateless refugees under certain circumstances could be granted residency without having to go through the regular application process, the NIA must first ensure that the Indian and Nepalese passports the Tibetans held when they entered the country were forged as claimed.
“To verify that information, the NIA has to contact the Indian and Nepalese governments through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and wait for a reply,” Chien said, adding that the NIA must also await court decisions on the Tibetans regarding their violations of immigration laws.
“We would like to get the job done as soon as possible, but the processes take time,” Chien said.Despite promises from Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission (MTAC) Minister Kao Su-po (高思博) that more than 100 stateless Tibetan refugees in Taiwan would obtain residency this month, Taiwan Tibetan Welfare Association chairman Jamga (蔣卡) said yesterday that most had yet to hear from the government.
“It’s been half a year and most of the [Tibetan refugees in Taiwan] are still waiting to obtain their residency,” Jamga told the Taipei Times by telephone. “Every time we ask the commission and the National Immigration Agency [NIA], we are told to wait.”
In December, more than 100 Tibetan refugees living in Taiwan without proper documents began a sit-in at Liberty Square in Taipei asking the government to grant them asylum.
Most of the refugees had years ago crossed the Himalayas into Nepal or India and entered Taiwan on visitor visas with forged Nepalese or Indian passports.
Having overstayed their visas, they became illegal residents and since they are stateless, they have no country to be sent back to.
Their pleas were finally heard when in January the Immigration Act (入出國及移民法) was amended at the legislature to grant them residency.
Yet, as most are still waiting to obtain residency, representatives of the Tibetans turned to the MTAC again yesterday
“We all respect and obey to [sic] the [MTAC] and keep on wait[ing],” the Tibetans said in a petition letter written in English and delivered in person to the commission yesterday.
“Now we are entering in July and there is nothing response from any commission or agency,” it said.
“Things are getting delay[ed] and more delay[ed],” the statement said.
Only nine Tibetans who held Identity Certificates — a document issued by the Indian government for Tibetan refugees — were granted residency last month.
Some Tibetans who met MTAC officials said they suspected that the government was intentionally delaying the process for political reasons.
However, commission chief secretary Chien Shih-yin (錢世英), who received the Tibetans, denied those accusations and urged them to be patient.
“We [the MTAC] finished verifying the identities of 115 Tibetan refugees in Taiwan in May and immediately sent all the documents to the NIA,” Chien said. “The NIA then has to do its own checks.”
He said that since only stateless refugees under certain circumstances could be granted residency without having to go through the regular application process, the NIA must first ensure that the Indian and Nepalese passports the Tibetans held when they entered the country were forged as claimed.
“To verify that information, the NIA has to contact the Indian and Nepalese governments through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and wait for a reply,” Chien said, adding that the NIA must also await court decisions on the Tibetans regarding their violations of immigration laws.
“We would like to get the job done as soon as possible, but the processes take time,” Chien said.
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