Prisons are overcrowded, and conditions are harsh in detention camps for illegal immigrants. A new law in May 1998 bans companies connected with political parties from bidding for public contracts and designates life imprisonment for bid-riggers. This law was expected to help reduce corruption and reform business contract procedures. In recent years, Taiwan has considerably relaxed travel restrictions on its citizens to the Chinese mainland, although many limits on the entry of mainland Chinese remain in force, ostensibly for security reasons. In 1999, the government launched an investigation into the background of more than 100,000 immigrants and visitors from mainland China after intelligence agencies said that some of these people were involved in espionage and other illegal activities.
Women face discrimination in employment, and rape and domestic violence remain serious problems.
New legislation was adopted in June 1998 requiring all city and county governments to establish domestic violence prevention centers. 357,000 aboriginal descendants of Malayo-Polynesians suffer from social and economic alienation and have limited influence over policy decisions regarding their land and natural resources.