(5 Jul 1996) Mandarin/Nat
Taiwan's government is considering tougher measures to curb the influx of mainland Chinese who come to work illegally in Taiwan.
They are attracted by the large sums of money they can earn on the island, but are accused of taking jobs away from locals and losing Taiwan tax money.
For the Beijing government, Taiwan is a renegade province that often causes trouble.
But for many people in China, Taiwan is a gold mine glittering with chances and challenges.
Pulled by the money, some mainland Chinese immigrants end up in this detention centre after being caught for illegal immigration.
They put up with loneliness and danger in return for income more than 10 times what they would earn in China.
Besides concern that some mainland Chinese may be engaged in espionage activities here, officials say Taiwanese are losing jobs to mainland Chinese who can accept lower wages.
And their Taiwanese bosses often help them hide from police.
So now the government is considering rewards for information helping it find illegal mainland Chinese immigrants.
But the most difficult part is keeping them safe in detention centres for repatriation, as many of the arrested stowaways are willing to do virtually anything to stay here.
There are numerous ways to avoid repatriation.
Many claim they are pro-democracy activists who will face prosecution if sent back, some try to kill themselves, by slashing their wrists with sharp finger nails.
Others stage hunger strikes - like this couple.
To avoid being accused of violating human rights or even angering China, the immigrants are allowed to put on entertainment for themselves.
It is all part of the good treatment the Taiwanese government is keen to promote here at Taiwan's largest detention centre for illegal Chinese immigrants.
Tan Ming-shie, the director of this centre, believes their handling of immigrants is successful.
SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin)
"Many things like ructions, fights, and even suicides have happened in the past four years, but we all managed to handle it properly. We always hope the work will not affect relations between two sides of the Straits."
SUPER CAPTION: Tan Ming-shie, Director of the Hsinchu Mainlander's Detention Centre
Most of the detainees claim they got caught before making any money here.
But Tan said the centre has found more than two (m) million Taiwan dollars (74-thousand U-S dollars) in cash from illegal immigrants and this does not include gold and jewellery.
Taiwanese are not just losing their jobs to these stowaways, they are losing tax money on them as well.
According to the centre Taiwan has spent some three (b) billion Taiwan dollars (111 (m) million U-S dollars) on management, detention and repatriation of illegal Chinese immigrants since 1987.
Due to the enhanced crackdown, the number of illegal Chinese immigrants arrested here has dropped from some six-thousand in 1993 to 22-hundred last year.
But more and more are turning to other channels - such as getting married to Taiwanese, applying to visit relatives.
Many of them end up staying and getting jobs, playing hide-and-seek with police.
In restaurants, factories, hotels, or construction sites, one can often find workers who are easily mistaken as Taiwanese until they speak, with their heavy mainland Chinese accents.
Being alone in a strange place, life is hard.
But the economic reward out there seems to be helping them adjust to a totally different society.
SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin)
SUPER CAPTION: Liu Shu-cheng, Bus Driver
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