Farmers Complain About Crackdown on Illegal Foreign Workers During Busy Farming Season

More Than 20 Raids This Year Alone
Farmers Say "Crackdowns During Busy Farming Season Mean Giving Up Farming"

As the peak season for butterfly pea cultivation approaches, complaints from farmers in Cheonan, Chungnam are mounting, saying "It's like being told to give up farming" as crackdowns on illegal foreign workers continue.

On the 19th, city council members from the Democratic Party in Cheonan held a press conference at the Cheonan City Hall briefing room, urging the Ministry of Justice to adopt a more flexible approach toward the crackdown on illegal foreign workers.

According to the Democratic Party city council members, recent crackdowns by the Ministry of Justice on illegal foreign workers have been ongoing mainly in the Seonghwan and Ipjang areas, which are major pear production regions.

The enforcement teams wait around labor offices and immediately conduct crackdowns when foreigners gather, or they enter orchards and farms unexpectedly to find illegal workers. It is known that many workers flee when the enforcement teams appear during work.

It has been reported that more than 20 complaints have been filed this year alone through city council members.

The Democratic Party city council members in Cheonan pointed out, "This is the most important busy season for starting the year's farming, and foreign workers are like a great help to rural areas lacking labor. However, only 6.3% of foreign employment is through the Employment Permit System or Seasonal Work System, and over 90% of those working in orchards are illegal workers."

They continued, "Despite this situation, the Ministry of Justice is ignoring reality and focusing solely on indiscriminate crackdowns without any measures. Taking away labor during the critical sowing period, when farmers are struggling to start the year's farming, is tantamount to telling them to give up farming. The government must prepare measures that fit the reality of farms, and the Ministry of Justice should respond flexibly and prudently in accordance with reason."