According to a survey conducted this May by the Institute of Ethnology at Academia Sinica, many people no longer consider emigrants "morally reprehensible" but tend to believe that emigration is "a matter of personal choice." Among 1,600 respondents surveyed around the island, more than 50 percent believed that emigrants should no longer be labeled "traitors to their country," and only one fourth maintained a contrary view.

Emigration has steadily increased since 1976, when restrictions on overseas tourism were lifted, with the largest increase in recent years being in "investment immigrants," or "business migrants." Five or six years ago, several large, sparsely populated countries such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa began accepting applications for immigration from persons with special expertise or managerial experience who have drawn up a thorough investment plan and can provide a certain amount of capital to start up a business.

Thanks to the development of its economy and educational system, Taiwan has many, many persons with the requisite expertise or experience, and the capital requirements, such as Canada's NT$12 million or Australia's NT$ 10 million, are no longer exorbitant figures on Taiwan these days. The Academia Sinica survey showed that more than 45 percent believe emigration is not just for the rich and powerful.

There has also been a change in the motives for emigration. The main reason in the past was the search for a higher income and fear of the threat of the Chinese Communists. In more recent years, however, many business migrants have cited a better living environment, their children's education and even a chance to enjoy more outdoor recreation as their top reasons for emigrating.

People's views of emigration have also shifted perspective. Taiwan is too crowded and too competitive. If some people want to leave and forge a world for themselves overseas, there's nothing wrong with that; it's actually an "extension of national power." The survey also revealed this turnabout in thinking more than 40 percent of the respondents believe the government should actively assist those wishing to emigrate.

At the same time that the views of the public toward emigration have been gradually changing, the government has begun to face the issue straight on. The promulgation of emigration quidance measures this May mark the first time that the government has brought this perennial issue out into the open, it is also planning to set up an Emigration Bureau specially to handle emigration affairs.

In addition, the Population Administration under the Ministry of the Interior is beginning to register and manage emigration consulting companies to prevent the kind of fraudulent practices that often occurred in the past.

The collection and dissemination of information is another important area of future work. In that way, says Chien Tai-lang, director of the Population Administration, people thinking of emigrating will have access to more information than the one-sided enticements of the emigration companies.

Steady improvements are being made in other emigration-related areas. In the past, for instance, overseas Chinese males with dual citizenship were subject to conscription if they returned to Taiwan before the age of 35, but now they may avoid military service as long as they have their R.O.C. passports stamped with verification of their citizenship or residency rights in a foreign country, although there are still regulations regarding the length of time they may reside on Taiwan.

The government is not in a position to assist individual emigrants start up businesses overseas, but the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission has established a Credit Guarantee Fund for Loans to Overseas Chinese, and the Ministry of Finance has authorized several domestic banks to set up offices in various countries to facilitate financial transactions by overseas Chinese.

It is a much-acclaimed fact of history that overseas Chinese furnished arms and ammunition to assist Dr. Sun Yat-sen with the revolution that toppled the Ch'ing Dynasty, which shows that emigration does not reduce national power. On the contrary, helping emigrants to gain a footing for themselves overseas is an extension of national power. And the change in the public's perceptions of them will perhaps encourage them to go all out in their endeavors with their minds at ease.

[Picture Caption]

After Promulgating emigration guidance regulations in May, the Executive Yuan in June sent personnel to study emigrant problems overseas. Here they meet with overseas Chinese in New Zealand. (photo by Vincent Chang)