More HUFS international students overstaying visas
The number of foreigners who initially entered Korea as international students and overstayed their visas is increasing. Korea Times file
By Bahk Eun-ji
About 370 foreign international students who entered Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) have disappeared and overstayed their visas over the last two years, data released by a lawmaker showed, Tuesday.
They are suspected of working as illegal migrant workers, and the ministry is urging HUFS and other universities to strengthen management of foreign students.
The data from the Ministry of Justice, released by Rep. Lee Chan-yeul of the minor Bareunmirae Party, showed that 193 foreign undergraduate students at HUFS or its language institute lost contact with the school and became illegal immigrants between July 2016 and June 2017. The number was 8.6 percent of the total foreign students there.
From July 2017 to June 2018, 176 students did so, accounting for 11.3 percent of the total foreign students at the university. The majority of them were enrolled in language courses.
HUFS' ratio of international students who have overstayed visas is far larger than the 2018 average of all universities nationwide, 4 percent.
Instances of foreigners who cannot get working visas entering low-performing universities in remote regions as international students and later disappearing and becoming illegal migrant workers, is rampant. But it is rare for a prestigious Seoul university to have such a high ratio.
Because of this problem, earlier this year the Ministry of Education dropped HUFS from its list of universities having a quality education and management system for international students. Schools on the list are given favorable treatment in recruiting foreign students, such as simpler procedures for requesting and issuing visas for them and more autonomy in running programs for the students.
Rep. Lee said some foreigners who have difficulty getting work visas abuse the simplified screening system of those universities to enter this country. He said many universities lack clear verification systems to filter out students who are likely to become illegal immigrants, so the governments must come up with clear measures to prevent some foreigners from abusing the system.
An official from the Ministry of Education said the problem of foreign nationals initially entering Korea as international students then illegally overstaying their visas and working illegally has been going on for years.
“Universities have been seeking more international students as the number of Korean students keeps decreasing due to the low birthrate. Many schools secure finances by luring in foreigners,” said Ku Hyun-gyu, an official of the ministry's international education bureau.
Ku said the education ministry sent official documents to universities recently, urging them to strengthen their management of international students, after learning over 20 percent of students at language courses are violating immigration laws.
The largest proportion, around 70 percent of the students-turned-illegal aliens, were from Vietnam, and this ratio was similar at HUFS, according to the justice ministry's data.
But the government currently seems to have no clear countermeasures, and the education ministry official only said they will strengthen monitoring systems at universities over the issue.
HUFS said it has strengthened the recruitment process for international students after learning some students had been abusing the school's system.
“Now our staffers in charge of recruitment visit the countries that have a higher ratios of students becoming illegal aliens here, and carry out face-to-face interviews with the admission applicants. Also, when an international student is absent from class for just one day, we immediately contact the student to check what's happening,” a HUFS public relations manager said.