By Byun Duk-kun
Staff Reporter

The Justice Ministry on Monday began rounding up undocumented migrant workers who have been illegally staying in the country for over four years, but failed to find any large scores in hiding. Still, all migrant workers or visitors are advised to keep their passports with them at all times as they may be subject to inspection by immigration officers at any time.

``Not only their workplaces or homes, but also the shelters and even streets will be places for inspection,’’ Yoon Chong-suk, official of the Visit Inspection Team at the Justice Ministry, said during an interview with The Korea Times. ``According to immigration law, foreigners are required to have their passports on their bodies at all times. Those who fail to present their proof of legal status of stay will be taken into custody for thorough inspection,’’ he added.

Some 360 immigration officers in 50 roundup teams nationwide began their crackdown on undocumented foreign workers. However, no major crackdown took place as the inspection teams limited most of their efforts to the streets where migrant workers frequent out of fear that an intense crackdown might arouse an uprising of angry foreign workers.

Migrant workers hid themselves deep among Korean volunteers and co-workers. Many of them quit their jobs and concealed themselves in the nation’s rural areas where the roundup efforts are expected to be less intense, while hundreds took refugee at migrant worker shelters and homes.

``Most of these migrant workers simply cannot leave the country because they don’t have enough money to pay their fines _ up to 20 million won in some cases _ and also because they still have unpaid wages and compensation to receive for work-related accidents,’’ Choi Yoon-jung, a spokesperson of a migrant workers center in Kuro-dong, southern Seoul, told The Korea Times. More than 100 undocumented workers came to the shelter hoping it would turn out to be their last place of safety, according to Choi.

The ministry official said the ministry decided to extend the period of voluntary departure indefinitely to allow the undocumented migrant workers to leave the country without having to pay the fine. ``But this does not mean that they will get the same treatment as those who left voluntarily during the grace period. They will still be barred from reentering the country for five years,’’ he said.

Still, the workers argue it isn’t just about the fine.

``Most of them can’t even work here any more because the employers are also fearing government penalties of up to 20 million won for hiring undocumented workers. But they are still hiding and running away because they never know whether they will be allowed back into the country once they are deported. Even if the South Korean government lets them back in, their country may not allow them to go back,’’ Choi said.

The center is also moving to start a signature-collecting drive to protest the government’s decision to deport those migrant workers regardless of their human rights violations. The drive, which will be conducted online at www.migrantworkers.org, will continue until they have 120,000 signatures to represent each and every one of those migrant workers who face deportation.

In a separate development, more than 200 migrant workers began to stage 24-hour sit-ins to protest the government’s unilateral decision. Another group of civic organizations, migrant workers centers and labor-related organizations also decided to hold rallies in front of the Myongdong Cathedral in downtown Seoul.

Some 3,000 ethnic Koreans from China also continued their hunger strike for Korean citizenship. More than 5,300 Korean-Chinese workers in the country had requested the Justice Ministry reinstate their Korean citizenship, which they claim to have lost during the Japanese colonial rule from 1910-1948.

Despite strong opposition from migrant workers and the nation’s civic and human rights organizations, the government is firmly determined to carry out its efforts to round up every undocumented foreign worker before next August when the new work permit system is implemented.

``Although there may be some cases where a migrant worker was recently injured while on work and must settle legal issues with his employer before leaving the country, we believe that most of them had more than enough time to settle wage disputes with their employers and therefore are subject to immediate deportation,’’ Yoon said.

benjamine@koreatimes.co.kr