Doãn Diệp Mậu, deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs talks with Thời báo Kinh Tế Việt Nam (Vietnam Economic Times) about measures to stop Vietnamese labourers illegally staying and working in Korea after finishing their labour contracts.

In recent years, the number of Vietnamese guest workers who were staying illegally in South Korea has decreased, but the percentage is still higher than guest workers from other countries. What measures has the ministry carried out to avoid the interruption of sending workers to South Korea?

South Korea decided to resume accepting Vietnamese labourers on job visas under the Employment Permit System (EPS) next year. The South Korean Ministry of Employment and Labour (MoEL) and Việt Nam’s Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) has recently re-signed a standard Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on this issue. After signing the MoU, the Vietnamese side has continued to carry out strong measures to reduce Vietnamese workers illegally staying on in South Korea as per the roadmap set by the Vietnamese and Korean Labour ministries.

First, pushing up the “home returning” programme for illegal workers to return Việt Nam before September 30 this year.

Second, calling on workers to abide by their labour contract terms to ensurey they return home on schedule. This will help increase awareness of the responsibilities Vietnamese guest workers have towards Korean law.

Third, delivering assistance and legal consultancy to workers in cases of changing employers, terminating labour contracts and so on.

Fourth, MoLISA would stop recruiting workers in provinces that have a high percentage of workers staying on illegally or who have relatives in South Korea.

Recently, the government issued a decree that exempts administrative punishments to workers who illegally stayed in South Korea but voluntarily return home by September 30. How does the ministry implement this policy?

The ministry and relevant offices have made public the policy on websites as well as given instructions to provinces. The procedure is very easy. In Korea, the workers just need to register to come back home. And when returning to their homes, they need to declare themselves to their local authorities.

Many people have been tricked into paying a lot of money to brokers who exploit workers’ desire to work in South Korea under the Employment Permit System (EPS) programme that was signed by the two countries. Has the ministry warned workers about this situation?

Workers should search for information about the programme on the official websites of the ministry and relevant offices. All related information such as Korean language tests, labour skills tests, the terms of labour contracts and fees were posted on the official website of MoLISA.

The MoLISA’s Centre of Overseas Labour is the only agency in charge of carrying out the EPS programme. -- VNS