The Ministry of Justice in South Korea announced today, Wednesday, that approximately 13,000 illegal migrants have left South Korea through a crackdown campaign and voluntary departure program over the past two months. The government resumed its campaign to apprehend foreigners residing or working illegally in October after a temporary halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ministry indicated that the recent campaign, which lasted from March 2 to April 30, focused on areas that could cause social harm, such as entertainment services, and industries closely related to local jobs, such as logistics and delivery services.
It was reported that a total of 7,578 undocumented workers were apprehended during the campaign, with 6,863 of them forced to leave the country. Additionally, 208 others were fined, while the remainder is under investigation.
Furthermore, 5,247 additional illegal migrants left the country through the voluntary departure program, which grants exemptions from fines and suspends entry restrictions. Additionally, fines were imposed on 1,701 employers who hired illegal migrants and on 12 illegal recruitment agents. The ministry stated that the number of illegal migrants has been reduced by 25,000 by April through the regular illegal residency control system introduced at the beginning of this year.
