« Taiwan Journal of Political Science No.22Publish: 2004/12

Immigrants and Basic Rights: A Proposal on Immigrants’ Political Participation Rights

Author: Yachung Chang

Abstract / Chinese PDF Download

This  article  proposes  that  the  state  should  open  up  political  rights  forimmigrants. In another word, immigrants should be moderately entitled to politicalparticipation rights. The article is composed of four parts. It argues in the first partthat  it  would  facilitate  social  integration  if  immigrants  are  granted  suffrage  andother  political  rights.  The  second  part  maintains  that  the  state  has  witnessed  aweakening of its authority with deepening global governance. It thus should loosenits control on immigrants’ political rights, and allow them greater space to take partin  national  and  social  “governance.”  The  third  part  argues,  on  the  base  of  humanrights  as  a  universal  value,  that  all  inhabitants  on  a  state’s  territory  should  enjoymeasurable  rights  of  political  participation.  The  fourth  part  puts  forward  practicalproposals  on  the  scope  of  political  rights  immigrants  should  be  entitled  to  in  thefuture.  The  main  points  include:  firstly,  immigrants  should  enjoy  suffrage  insecondary  elections  after  moving  into  a  target  nation  for  a  certain  period  of  time.Secondly,  immigrants  are  entitled  to  candidateship  in  secondary  elections  afterliving in the target nation for a certain period of time and with a record of regulartax paying. Thirdly, legal immigrants automatically acquire citizenship after livingin  the  target  nation  for  a  certain  period  of  time.  Fourthly,  the  political  rights  ofimmigrants should be promoted from both domestic and international levels.

Keywords:global governance、Globalization、Immigrant、open political market、political participation rights