Taiwan – one of the most progressive countries in Asia – has no asylum law. Due to its political status and its complicated relationship with China, there are serious concerns surrounding this topic. Compounding this issue is the limited discussion on this topic within Taiwanese society, with many Taiwanese unaware of the absence of an asylum law in Taiwan, as evidenced by the interviews conducted with organisations that work on the refugee issue in Taiwan. The lack of comprehensive social dialogue and nationally representative surveys further obscures the true stance of the Taiwanese population on the asylum issue. To address this gap, this chapter presents the findings of the first-ever comprehensive, nationally representative (in terms of age, gender, and regions) survey that explores Taiwanese views on the refugee issue. The survey covers various aspects – from the stance on the eventual adoption of an asylum law in Taiwan and its potential form (inclusive or exclusive of Chinese nationals), through the perceived concerns in doing so (including potentially worsened relations with the PRC), to the attitudes towards different groups of people facing persecution, such as Hong Kongers, Tibetans, Uyghurs, Rohingya, and Syrians. While online forums may be dominated by negative comments about refugees, creating an impression that the Taiwanese oppose granting asylum to refugees in their country, the research results paint a different picture. The Taiwanese population actually holds generally positive attitudes towards refugees and tends to agree rather than disagree that Taiwan needs a proper asylum system. However, a considerable portion of respondents remains undecided, underscoring the need for broader societal discussions on the topic.
