TAIPEI (TVBS News) — As the clock ticks toward midnight on Tuesday (March 25), Chinese influencer Liu Zhenya (劉振亞), widely known as "Yaya in Taiwan" (亞亞在台灣), faces an ultimatum from Taiwanese authorities: depart voluntarily by 11:59 p.m. or be forcibly deported. The dramatic deadline comes after a contentious legal battle that has captured public attention across the Taiwan Strait.
The National Immigration Agency (NIA, 移民署) stripped Liu of her residency permit after determining she had used her social media platform to advocate for Taiwan's unification with mainland China. The decision ignited both support and outrage across Taiwanese society. Should Liu miss tonight's deadline, immigration officials will physically escort her from the country, with the NIA emphasizing that any costs associated with the forced deportation would be Liu's responsibility.
Officials based their deportation order on Liu's alleged violations of the "Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area" (兩岸人民條例), a key piece of legislation regulating cross-strait interactions. Accompanied by her husband, Liu challenged the ruling at the Ministry of the Interior (內政部), maintaining that her controversial statements merely constituted analytical commentary rather than advocacy. Her appeals were complicated by public demonstrations, with protesters gathering around her and calling for her immediate expulsion from Taiwan.
The High Administrative Court's rejection of Liu's final appeal has left the influencer with few remaining legal options as her departure deadline approaches. Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) defended the government's position, emphasizing that the NIA had followed proper legal procedures throughout the case. "The law must be respected," the minister noted, suggesting that failure to comply with immigration regulations inevitably results in enforcement actions, which could cost Liu approximately NT$16,500 (around US$500).
