COVID success? For whom? Examining the political representation of migrants in Taiwan

Abstract

ABSTRACT Taiwan’s handling of COVID-19 has been seen as a success. Nevertheless, little is known about how the government has considered migrants in its COVID-19 policies. Using a corpus analysis of the legislative speeches of the Taiwanese policymakers between 2020 and 2022, we investigate how migrants are represented in Taiwan’s COVID-19 strategy. Our findings show that policymakers inadequately consider migrants when drawing up emergency measures and restrictions, despite making up of 6.3 per cent of the population. Our findings illustrate that policymakers focus more on migrant workers than migrant spouses and that policymakers demonize migrant workers and victimize migrant spouses. As COVID-19 does not differentiate based on nationality and constituents would want migrants to be represented for their own safety, the study demonstrates how policymakers may accommodate a diverse population beyond their constituents in crises and illuminates ways to create an inclusive society where non-citizens’ health and safety are considered.