Published: July 2026

Following our February 2025 report, Following the Thread, which investigated forced labor and other labor abuses in Taiwan’s textile industry, suppliers and some of their buyers are on course to reimburse almost $6 million in recruitment fees to hundreds of migrant workers from Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam who paid for their jobs, with more than $4 million already returned. Systemic changes are also underway: the textile industry association has recommended that factories pay all recruitment costs, the government has committed to prohibiting worker-borne recruitment fees within three years, and the Control Yuan, Taiwan’s main oversight agency, has called for reform after finding the industry’s efforts to prevent abuse are failing.

Our latest report, On the Mend: How Taiwan’s Textile Industry Can Achieve Ethical Employment With Support from the Global Apparel Sector, documents the significant progress made and the gaps that remain. Remediating longstanding abuses has been unacceptably slow, even though these were foreseeable risks to companies. Some workers have left their factories and may not be located for repayment of fees, while others are being repaid only gradually. And many buyers have not stepped up to contribute to fee repayment, further prolonging the process.

Inside, we outline recommendations to ensure that Taiwan secures a prosperous future for its textile industry, with the government and private sector together protecting migrant workers from abuse and exploitation.