The government on Friday will reduce penalties for companies that illegally employ foreign workers. The Ministry of Justice says companies breaking the law can now be re-issued licenses to employ foreign nationals immediately after paying their fines.
The current law states that businesses found guilty of hiring undocumented alien workers cannot employ foreigners for three years. Despite the stringent regulation companies were found to have employed foreign workers illegally even after they were prosecuted.
The Korea Times has more:
This softer policy comes at a time when small- and medium-sized firms are suffering from manpower shortages, but is contrary to its overall policy of reducing illegal immigrant workers.
Under the new rule, companies will face a one-year ban on hiring additional foreigners if they are caught employing illegal foreign workers. Currently, the ban is three years.
This rule will be applied retrospectively, making it possible for nearly 3,030 companies to hire foreign workers again this month.
"It will help ease the chronic workforce shortage at small companies," the ministry said. But side effects are expected as firms might hire more undocumented foreigners due to the lighter penalty.
The plan comes at a time when the government is facing growing criticism from small companies that say the drastic cut in foreign worker quotas earlier this year is a major culprit behind illegal employment.
In March, the Ministry of Labor slashed the number of work visas - H-2 and E-9 - issued to foreigners from 100,000 to 34,000, a measure aimed at providing more job opportunities for Koreans amid the worsening job market.
5 comments:
This rule will be applied retrospectively
Retroactively.
Re-iterating my line, it's not an illegal employee problem. It's an illegal employer problem.
They didn't get my memo, I guess.
I've been saying much the same thing for years.
Going after the illegal workers will solve nothing. There will always be more where they came from.
Going after the companies that hire the illegal workers is where you have to hammer them. And I mean HAMMER them, financially with massive fines and legally with jail time.
Make examples of a few companies and company execs, publicize the shit out of them, and I guarantee the numbers of illegals in Korea will drop.
Lessening the penalties for companies is only sending them the message that it's okay to hire illegals.
Who will bear the brunt of the government's wrath, though? Joe Backpacker teaching English for a month in the summer and the hundreds of non-visa-holding 3rd worlders here to work in the factories.
I imagine they'll shift the burden to the illegal employee.
Another example of Korea's bi-polar attitude to foreign workers. We need, we hate them, we just can't figure out a way to accept the fact that these barbarians are necessary for the economy.
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