Ministry of Justice Conducts Record High Crackdown on Over 38,000 Illegal Immigrants This Year

The Ministry of Justice announced on the 14th that a total of about 38,000 illegal foreign residents were caught through three rounds of joint government crackdowns this year.

Ministry of Justice. Photo by Asia Economy DB

According to the Ministry of Justice, during the third crackdown period from October 10 to the 9th of this month, a total of 7,255 illegal foreign residents and workers were apprehended. Among them, 6,532 were deported or otherwise removed from the country, and 159 received fines.

A total of 1,653 "illegal employers" who hired illegal foreign residents were also caught by authorities. Additionally, 21 brokers who arranged employment for foreign workers were apprehended, with 8 of them detained.

Furthermore, 13 illegal foreign residents who used or sold drugs were caught and will be deported and banned from re-entry after completing criminal procedures.

The Ministry of Justice stated that 8,800 illegal foreign residents who expressed their intention to voluntarily leave during the Ministry’s "Special Voluntary Departure Period for Illegal Foreign Residents" will be exempted from fines and entry restrictions.

Also, the special voluntary departure period, originally set to end on the 31st, has been extended until February next year to ensure that illegal foreign residents who wish to leave voluntarily can do so smoothly even during the year-end and New Year holidays when booking flights is difficult.

Due to the government's multifaceted efforts to reduce illegal residency, the number of illegal foreign residents has shown a declining trend since October. The Ministry of Justice reported that the number of illegal foreign residents was 429,000 in September, briefly increased to 430,000 in October, and then decreased to 426,000 last month.

Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon said, "This year, we apprehended more than 38,000 illegal foreign residents, the highest ever," adding, "To actively address the illegal residency issue, we increased the number of enforcement personnel by 88 and will do our best to establish a strict residency order by strengthening a consistent and ongoing crackdown system next year."