The criticism has been advanced that these fishing boats are the illegal mainland immigrants 'main means of support and represent their only capital, so that sending people back without their boat is tantamount to depriving them of their livelihood.
遣返時，由兩艘軍艦「護送」大陸漁船到台灣海峽中線，然後由其自行再開七、八個鐘頭，回平潭或廈門等沿海口岸。對於並船遣返的方式，有人認為，漁船往往是船主賴以維生的工具，也是唯一的財產，不讓原船回去，不啻截人生路。