319 People Took 220 Million Won
Induced to Falsify Refugee Application Reasons
Consulting to Delay with Lawsuits if Failed
On the 6th, illegal foreign residents are lining up to voluntarily report their departure at the Ministry of Justice Immigration Service Center in Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@
A Malaysian national refugee A (male, 49 years old) who arranged false refugee applications for 319 Malaysians who entered the country for illegal employment purposes and pocketed over 200 million won has been arrested.
Incheon Airport Immigration Office announced on the 9th that they arrested Mr. A in Itaewon, Seoul on the 25th of last month and sent him to the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office in custody on the 3rd.
Incheon Airport Immigration Office received information around November last year that a broker called the so-called ‘Master’ Mr. A was arranging false refugee applications in Seoul and began an investigation. Mr. A entered Korea for tourism purposes in July 2017. Afterward, he applied for refugee status in October of the same year and was recognized as a refugee in March last year, residing in Korea.
According to the authorities' investigation, from January 2020 to March last year, Mr. A charged 600,000 won per person to 319 Malaysians who actually entered the country for illegal employment purposes or under the pretense of tourism, providing false reasons for refugee applications and fake documents proving residence, facilitating their refugee applications.
Additionally, for Malaysians who falsely applied for refugee status, he fabricated false lease contracts or residence/accommodation confirmation letters required for extending their stay, charging 200,000 won each and providing them.
In this process, Mr. A involved a Malaysian B (male, 27 years old), whom he had arranged to apply for false refugee status, as an accomplice to act as a story maker creating fake refugee reasons. They fabricated reasons such as "being threatened with death by private loan sharks due to debt conflicts" for refugee applications.
They abused the Republic of Korea’s refugee application system and judicial procedures by having foreigners who received refugee denial decisions file administrative lawsuits to enable long-term stay in Korea.
The Incheon Airport Immigration Office stated, "We will thoroughly investigate and take firm action against not only false refugee applicants but also refugee brokers and foreigners abusing the refugee system."
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