Two Filipino nannies who absconded deported from Korea

Home > National > Social Affairs

Two Filipino nannies who absconded deported from Korea

Published: 15 Oct. 2024, 14:17 Updated: 15 Oct. 2024, 14:29

Caregivers from the Philippines enter South Korea at Incheon airport, west of Seoul, on Aug. 6 for a pilot project to ease child care burdens in households. [NEWS1]

Two Filipino domestic helpers who were arrested after being absent from their jobs for several weeks under Seoul’s pilot program were deported, according to the Ministry of Justice on Monday.

The Korea Immigration Service returned the two workers to the Philippines on Thursday. They are now banned from re-entering Korea for a specified period.

The nannies did not contest the immigration authority’s decision, according to the ministry on Monday.

The two were among 100 home helpers from the Southeast Asian country who arrived in Seoul on Aug. 6 under the Seoul Metropolitan Government's pilot project to reduce child care burdens and boost the birth rate.

They left their quarters in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Sept. 15, and did not return to work.

Upon being informed of their absence by their 10-person team leader, the service provider confirmed their escape through CCTV and reported it to the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

The two Filipino nannies were arrested on Oct. 4 at their residences in the southeastern port city of Busan. The Busan immigration office and police also discovered that they had illegally got jobs in Busan.

The reason for the two workers' unauthorized departure from the program has not been disclosed.

The Seoul city government is working to improve the domestic helpers' working conditions, including offering bi-weekly payment options and removing the 10 p.m. curfew.

BY WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]