37% of migrant workers stay illegally

More than one third of foreign workers who enter the country under a work permit system overstay their visas, the Ministry of Justice said Sunday.
According to the ministry, 15,804, or 37.3 percent of 42,379 immigrant workers whose E-9 non-professional work visa expired between January and October last year, remained illegally in the country.

The work permit system, which was introduced in August 2004, ensures that the immigrant workers are treated equally in terms of employment conditions as their local counterparts. Minister of Justice stated that the illegal residence of immigrant workers is a problem that could lead to permanent residence. Among the immigrants that have entered the country under the program, many tend to overstay their visas, going as far as registering for refugee status. The foreign workers are seemingly choosing to stay longer, and possibly permanently, in Korea, as it becomes more difficult for them to return to their home country.

To address the problem, the Immigration Bureau has been taking stricter measures against illegal immigrant workers. It deported 3,023 of them last year, up 576 from 2,447 the previous year. However, these measures are proving to be ineffective, as there were still 53,252 illegal immigrant workers. In order to prolong their stay, the workers are filing for refugee status. The number of workers registering for refugee status has grown over the years Experts evaluate that the employment permit system has improved human rights conditions of the workers, but have yet to address the issue of illegal residence.