The number of illegal immigrant workers from Vietnam in South Korea has been on the rise, and the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLisa) has admitted being unable to deal with the problem.

 

The Deputy Minister, Nguyen Thanh Hoa, gave a recent interview on the subject with a reporter from Tien Phong Newspaper.

What is the possibility that South Korea will open its doors to Vietnamese labourers?

If the number of illegal immigrants does not fall, there is a small possibility of this. Moreover, if we do not tackle this problem, it will be a big loss for Vietnam.  

What will the government and the MoLisa do to deal with the situation?

The issue has been discussed many times at meetings between high-ranking officials of Vietnam and South Korea.

The  outcomes of these meetings has also been delivered to both the Vietnamese and South Korean presidents. Solving this issue would benefit both countries. It has been estimated that, if the problem of undocumented workers in South Korea can be solved, it would create 10,000 high-income jobs annually for Vietnamese workers.  

What steps should be taken to solve the matter for good?

Localities with a high rate of illegal migrants would be barred from participating in the Employment Permit System (EPS). Such localities must be required to strictly conform to the regulation on depositing, making it necessary for each worker from these localities to pay a deposit of at least USD5,000-7,000 compared to just USD1,000 required from residents without this problem.

The families of illegal workers should also convince them to return home as soon as possible. Molisa will facilitate the creation of new employment for those whose contracts are about to expire.