Taipei [Taiwan], July 4 : About 2,000 Chinese spouses in Taiwan have yet to provide proof of renouncing their household registration in China, immigration officials said, with hundreds reportedly wanting to retain their Chinese citizenship and willing to give up their Taiwanese IDs, Taipei Times reported on Thursday.
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) issued a directive in April requiring Chinese spouses to submit proof of deregistration from China or an affidavit declaring they had done so, with the deadline ending on Monday. Of the estimated 140,000 Chinese spouses residing in Taiwan, about 10,000 had not completed the process before the deadline, according to an official from the National Immigration Agency (NIA).
"The NIA sent official letters to 12,146 Chinese spouses under the directive. By the deadline, the MAC had processed over 8,000 submitted documents," the official said in an interview with Taipei Times.
The MAC has outlined six alternative methods for submitting the affidavit or proof and three exemption or deferral conditions. Around 2,000 Chinese spouses have either submitted alternative documents or applied for exemption or deferral. However, about 2,000 remain uncontacted, many of whom live in China or other countries.
Taipei Times quoted the official saying, "Hundreds of Chinese spouses have expressed unwillingness to renounce their Chinese household registration and citizenship. Some travel frequently between Taiwan and China for work or family reasons. Others cited concerns such as inheritance rights under China's former one-child policy and mortgages on parental homes requiring full payment upon deregistration."
Some applicants requested extensions to pay off mortgages before completing deregistration but were rejected by the NIA. "The rejection is because it is unfair for some to hold residency in both places to enjoy benefits on both sides," the official added.
Taiwan's law, the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, prohibits dual household registration, the official said. Those retaining Chinese residency have effectively given up their Taiwanese IDs by not submitting proof of deregistration.
The MAC is coordinating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and representative offices abroad to contact those living overseas. For those in Taiwan, the NIA is working with social affairs departments and social workers to locate individuals, some of whom may live in remote areas or lack phone access.
Taipei Times noted that many Chinese spouses who completed the process have submitted proof of deregistration to the MAC, while about 100 Chinese spouses still reside in Taiwan without contact.