|
The government announced Tuesday that it would grant amnesty for illegal aliens currently residing in the country who voluntarily report during the World Cup Finals. In addition those reporting will be allowed to re-enter the country lawfully. It will also expand the age limit from over 50 to over 40 for illegal Chinese immigrants wanting to visit China to meet their relatives.
From March 25, illegal immigrants who report themselves to immigration officials over a two-month period will not be subject to punishment, and will be allowed to delay their departure until March next year.
Prime Minister Lee Han-dong told a cabinet meeting that with foreign visitors who come on travel packages and remain illegally, the travel agent responsible will lose their license.
To crackdown on illegal immigrants, the government will increase visa interviews for invitations for overseas study, tourism, business, visiting relatives, marriage and cohabitation, and on illegal immigrants from China, Thailand, Mongolia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
A justice ministry official said stricter punishment on unlawful immigration will be implement, but it will allow foreign workers who have difficulty in departing from the country because of disease, back pay and industrial injuries to stay longer to settle such problems.
(Cho Hee-cheon, hccho@chosun.com )
|
