Hanoi (VNA) ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ– The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Korea (RoK) has launched a policy exempting penalties for foreigners who illegally reside in the country but voluntarily return to their homeland in 2023, according to the Department of Overseas Labour under the Vietnamese Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA).

This policy applies to all foreigners who illegally reside in the RoK but voluntarily return to their homelands between September 11 and December 31, 2023. The cases not entitled to the policy include persons illegally residing in the RoK after September 11, 2023. Specifically, the policy does not include those that illegally entered the country, used fake passports or laissez-passers, committed crimes, or are unable to comply with the exit orders. According to the policy, illegal foreign residents who voluntarily return to their countries within the period will be exempted from fines and entry restrictions. That means after returning home, they can still apply for visas to the RoK, have their visa applications received by the RoK consulates in their countries, and have visas granted. To make declarations for voluntary departure, foreign workers need to have passports ready, flight tickets for departure, and declaration forms of voluntary departure. Illegal workers can make declarations at immigration offices in the places they live in or via the website Hikorea (//hikorea.go.kr). After the declarations, they need to go to immigration offices at airports to receive the decision to be exempted from fines and entry restrictions, and board flights to return home. The Department of Overseas Labour said that workers have to make declarations for voluntary departure three days prior to their departure date at the latest (excluding holidays or weekends). They can find more information via the switchboard 1345 of the RoK Ministry of Justice. In addition, the RoK ministry will continue working with relevant ministries and sectors to step up the crackdown on illegal foreign residents from October 2023. Those who are arrested during the grace period will be fined up to 30 million KRW (nearly 22,400 USD) and have their entry bans extended. The RoK’s new policy is expected to encourage illegal foreign workers to voluntarily return to their homelands, reduce the number of illegal workers, and open up more opportunities for foreigners to work in this country. In Vietnam, the localities with high numbers of illegal workers in the RoK are subject to measures to help curb the problem. The MoLISA annually announces the suspension of select guest workers from localities where many workers abandon their legal jobs (70 people and over). This also includes those that have a high rate of workers who do not return to Vietnam on schedule after their labour contracts expire (27% and over). In 2023, the MoLISA and the RoK side agreed to continue suspending the selection of guest workers for the RoK’s Employment Permit System in eight district-level localities of four provinces, namely Nghi Xuan and Cam Xuyen districts of Ha Tinh; Chi Linh city of Hai Duong; Cua Lo town, Nghi Loc district, and Hung Nguyen district of Nghe An. Dong Son and Hoang Hoa districts of Thanh Hoa, were also included in the ban, as they failed to reduce their rates of illegal workers in the RoK. The MoLISA requested the localities press on with communications to encourage workers with expired contracts to return on schedule and the ones residing illegally in the RoK to come back so as to create opportunities for more people to work in the RoK./.