Pan, ML., Tsering, D. (2024). The Lived Experience of Tibetan Refugees in Taiwan: Contesting Rights to Work, Residence, and Citizenship. In: Momesso, L., Ivanova, P. (eds) Refugees and Asylum Seekers in East Asia. Palgrave Macmillan Studies on Human Rights in Asia. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-2867-1_11
Abstract
The study explores the lived experiences of Tibetan refugees in Taiwan, with a focus on the rights to residence, work, and citizenship. Based on data collected from interviews, reports published by the Mongol and Tibet Affairs Commission, and other secondary sources, the study shows how the status of Tibetans in Taiwan has changed in the three different phases of political transformation in Taiwan. The study highlights how the political situation in Taiwan played a central role in determining the rights and status of Tibetan refugees in Taiwan. During Taiwan’s authoritarian phase, Tibetan refugees gained citizenship by serving the state’s purpose of advancing Chinese nationalist ideology, while in the democratic phase they were considered stateless and unable to obtain a residence visa due to national security concerns. Historical connections with Taiwan’s national identity politics have led to the particularity and complexity of Tibetans’ lived experiences in Taiwan today. The development of democracy in Taiwan has not improved the refugee rights’ protection. Even without a refugee law, Taiwan as a democratic country should seriously consider the challenges Tibetan refugees face in the light of basic human rights. Improving existing limitations, in the long run, will strengthen Taiwan’s democratic system.