Malaysians Are Earning RM2,000 A Week As Illegal Workers In South Korea
Sources told Mingguan Malaysia that each person would be charged from RM3,000 to RM4,000 to be transported into South Korea.
By Nandini Balakrishnan — 02 Jan 2018, 06:43 PM
Illegal Malaysian workers are reportedly earning around RM2,000 per week in South Korea
A recent report by Mingguan Malaysia revealed that unscrupulous agents would usually recruit locals via social media channels, especially Facebook.
The jobs would mostly be in the farming, manufacturing, and service industries in South Korea. The Sunday edition of Malay daily, Utusan Malaysia, said that the number of such agents have increased, with some even posting videos describing the lucrative pay packages and perks of working in South Korea.
An anonymous source told Mingguan Malaysia that the agents would usually charge each person around RM3,000 to RM4,000 to be smuggled into South Korea
The workers, some as young as 16, would be transported in groups of 20 to areas away from the capital city of Seoul and the eyes of authorities like Hanam-si, Suwon, and Mugeok.
Mingguan Malaysia's source has identified two agents in Malaysia who are currently actively smuggling at least two groups of Malaysians into South Korea every month. One is said to be operated by two siblings, while the other is run by parent-and-child duo.
Two main groups of Malaysians who fall prey to this employment scam are usually those who have never travelled overseas before, thus unaware of working visa requirements, and the ones who have been blacklisted after working illegally in the farms in Australia.
Once there, the workers are most often left in vulnerable conditions, unprotected by the law and exploited by their employers
The source explained that employers would withhold part of the workers' salary as a deposit to ensure that they do not run way. The amount would only be returned after the workers complete the agreed term of employment.
"There have also been cases where the employers would report their own workers to the immigration department to avoid paying their salaries.
"As illegal workers, they are not protected by the labour laws and the employers will always be at an advantage. Agents do not bother with these workers after they transport them," the source added.
It was reported that the Korean authorities are now aware of this growing problem and have tightened the security systems in the country.