Over-stayer crackdown to be extended
Published: 05 Oct. 2009, 04:09
The government has extended its campaign to crack down on illegal foreign residents for two more months as the results of the past month fell short of its goal, the Ministry of Justice said yesterday.
Korea launched a government-wide campaign last month to encourage foreigners overstaying their visas to leave the country, suspecting that some of the 310,000 aliens whose visas are expected to expire during the second half of this year may extend their stay without authorization.
The campaign, which involves the justice and labor ministries and the Small and Medium Business Administration, resulted in 2,257 illegal residents voluntarily leaving the country in one month. Those who voluntarily leave are exempt from fines, and the period of their future entry ban is shortened to less than one year.
“The campaign has been underway to encourage voluntary departures, but it has fallen short of expectations,” Seong Rak-seung, a justice ministry official, said.
The extension will be effective through the end of November. Of the 1.16 million foreign residents here, illegal residents account for roughly 16 percent, or about 184,000 people. Local businesses that illegally employ foreign residents can be fined up to 20 million won ($17,000) and a ban on future employment of foreign residents for up to three years. Yonhap
Korea launched a government-wide campaign last month to encourage foreigners overstaying their visas to leave the country, suspecting that some of the 310,000 aliens whose visas are expected to expire during the second half of this year may extend their stay without authorization.
The campaign, which involves the justice and labor ministries and the Small and Medium Business Administration, resulted in 2,257 illegal residents voluntarily leaving the country in one month. Those who voluntarily leave are exempt from fines, and the period of their future entry ban is shortened to less than one year.
“The campaign has been underway to encourage voluntary departures, but it has fallen short of expectations,” Seong Rak-seung, a justice ministry official, said.
The extension will be effective through the end of November. Of the 1.16 million foreign residents here, illegal residents account for roughly 16 percent, or about 184,000 people. Local businesses that illegally employ foreign residents can be fined up to 20 million won ($17,000) and a ban on future employment of foreign residents for up to three years. Yonhap
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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