Potential Threats

Strategic Vision vol. 6, no. 35 (October, 2017)

Taiwan’s new visa-free policy brings potential security challenges to the island

Edgar Maldonado

Military Police Special Services Company personnel appear at Jinhua Counter Terror Exercise and disaster prevention 2017.

photo: ROC Presidential Office

With its strong ties to Latin American countries, Taiwan’s government recently devised a visa-free policy for countries with which it has diplomatic relations. One of the major reasons for this policy is to attract more foreign visitors to boost Taiwan’s decaying tourist sector. While this policy was announced with good intentions, a consequence of this policy is that it will likely introduce various forms of crime from these countries to Taiwan. Many of the countries on Taiwan’s visa-free list have serious challenges with crime. This study will examine how existing crime problems in Central America could threaten Taiwan under the new visa-free policy.

Organized crime is defined as criminal activities conducted by structured groups for directly or indirectly obtaining economic, political or other material benefit. It is different from common criminal organizations actions given that organized crime is mostly conducted by both legal actors and illegal organizations. Connections between illegal organizations and legal political, law enforcement, banking and other elites help members of organized crime to avoid being punished. Organized crime often occurs on an international scale. In Latin America, organized crime typically takes the form of human trafficking, drug trafficking, kidnapping and murder. Six Latin American countries are ranked as the most dangerous countries not at war, and most of the danger in these countries is a result of organized crime.

A US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft begins take-off during Exercise VIGILANT ACE 18 at Osan Air Base in South Korea.

photo: Frankin Ramos

Having been left unchecked, serious criminal activity in these countries has gradually seeped into national institutions to form a dense criminal network. The difference between organized crime and traditional crime is the involvement of government institutions. Although officials are not willing to recognize that the involvement of institutions has become regular, the facts and polls show that crime is one of the top of concerns of people. As the problem has become increasingly severe, governments have been unable to stem the flow of crime and violence across borders.

Cooler ties

After the election of Tsai Ing-wen as president of the Republic of China (ROC), relations between Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have become cooler. While the Tsai Administration has sought to maintain practical relations with China, its failure to acknowledge the so-called 1992 Consensus has drawn criticism from Beijing. Accordingly, China has decreased the level of cross-strait exchange and interaction. Taiwan has accordingly sought to increase ties with other countries and regions. One result of this effort has been to adopt the visa-free policy with Latin American allies in order to boost ties and tourism.

In 2017, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced that it would grant visa-free status to diplomatic allies in Central America and the Caribbean. Under the new policy, citizens from El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras and Nicaragua were granted visa-free admission for up to 90 days, while visitors from the Dominican Republic, Belize, Guatemala, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines would be admitted for 30 days. Additionally, Taiwan will allow visitors from the Philippines to enjoy visa-free status as part of its new Southbound Policy. Taiwan has already initiated a trial period for visa-free status for the Philippines, which will run from November 1st, 2017 to July 31, 2018. During this time, visitors from the Philippines will be able to visit Taiwan for up to 14 days.

Security problems

While the visa-free policy will boost relations and economic benefits for all countries involved, it will also pose a number of challenges in the area of crime and human security. One problem that could increase as a result of the visa-free policy is organized crime. Currently, Taiwan is a regional transit point for heroin, methamphetamine, and other club drugs to Northeast Asia. Additionally, much smuggling occurs between China and Taiwan. With these existing channels for drug smuggling, crime networks in Latin America may seek to take advantage of the situation and use Taiwan as a transit point, and possibly also a destination for drug smuggling. Drug smuggling may also contribute to the problem of money laundering. Money laundering systems exist in Taiwan to serve foreign laborers and illegal activities, if drug trafficking were to increase, money laundering would also increase.

Organized crime networks could also take advantage of the visa-free policy to increase trafficking for prostitution. Given the close proximity, and economic problems in some Southeast Asian countries, prostitution rings may attempt to bring more women for short-term prostitution activity. In turn, this could contribute to health threats, and possible violence against women.

Taiwan should seek to rejoin Interpol, perhaps in an unofficial capacity. Access to information and intelligence from Interpol would greatly enhance Taiwan’s ability to flag potentially dangerous figures and criminals.

In addition to increased crime, the visa-free policy my pose challenges to public health and disease control. Many countries on the visa-free policy list have problems with public sanitation, hygiene standards and disease control. Diseases such as malaria, yellow fever and AIDS could be brought into the country. Moreover, higher numbers of visitors would pose a challenge if infectious diseases such as SARS or avian flu were to break out in the region. For this reason, Taiwan may also need to increase the number of health workers at its points of entry.

Strengthening links

In view of these new challenges to its security, Taiwan should take a number of steps to safeguard its security. First, Taiwan should deepen its intelligence exchange with its visa-free partners. Strengthening law enforcement and intelligence links with friendly countries will help Taiwan identify potentially dangerous individuals who have entered the country. Furthermore, Taiwan should seek to rejoin Interpol, perhaps in an unofficial capacity. Access to information and intelligence from Interpol would greatly enhance Taiwan’s ability to flag potentially dangerous figures and criminals.

A sign at the international airport in Taoyuan, Taiwan warns travelers that drug trafficking can be punishable by death.

photo: Monica Muler

In order to prepare for an influx of visitors from these countries, Taiwan must increase the law enforcement presence at its ports of entry. The potential increase in drug trafficking and human trafficking will likely put a strain on existing security staff.

Taiwan must also promote the welfare and morale of police and law enforcement agencies. In September, a member of Taiwan’s police union published an article in Taiwan’s media claiming that police equipment was sometimes defective and inadequate for the job. Reduced welfare and pension levels have also contributed to a decrease in morale among some law enforcement officers. Finally, many segments of the Taiwan public do not hold police in high esteem. Taken together, these factors make it challenging for police and law enforcement agencies to attract talented people into their ranks. Taiwan should ensure that police are fairly compensated, and receive proper benefits.

In general, organized crime has taken advantage of globalization and transformed in ways that make it more difficult to legally prosecute. In order to alleviate the global impact of organized crime, the United Nations hosted a meeting on the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime in Palermo, Italy in 2000. The participating nations reached agreements which supported improved cooperation to identify organized crime, and measures to foster deeper cooperation and prosecution of international criminals.

In order to better safeguard its security and wellbeing, Taiwan should pursue deeper links with law enforcement agencies around the globe. Although Taiwan often faces challenges to international cooperation because of pressure from the PRC, it must continue to pursue novel means of participation and outreach.

In some cases, current or retired law enforcement officials might be able to participate in international crime-fighting forums in a private capacity. Furthermore, security scholars from think tanks in Taiwan could increase participation in track II-type security forums around the globe. Measures such as this would significantly increase Taiwan’s ability to share information related to transnational crime, and increase Taiwan’s reputation as a proactive member of the international community.

Edgar Maldonado is a student at Taiwan’s National Defense University and a lieutenant colonel in the Honduran Army.