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| Foreign workers receive free medical checkups at the Korea Support Center for Foreign Workers in southwestern Seoul, Sunday. Courtesy of Korea Support Center for Foreign Workers |
By Lee Hae-rin
Korea is set to shut down support centers that help foreign workers settle in the country as part of a broader belt-tightening fiscal policy.
However, the decision is in stark contrast to its intention to attract immigrant workers to tackle the country's workforce shortage amid a demographic crisis.
According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor Thursday, the government has decided not to appropriate a budget for foreign worker support centers across the country next year.
Since the opening of the first center in 2004, 44 more centers have been opened and operated with an annual budget of around 7 billion won ($5.3 million) to help foreign workers with labor issues and social integration, as well as to provide them shelter, Korean language lessons and education.
The centers received excellent performance reviews in the Ministry of Economy and Finance's latest report on projects, which assessed that they have significant policy implications because the number of foreign workers is expected to increase in the future.
The ministry's report also assessed that the 7 billion won budgeted for the 44 centers was at the "minimum level for practical management."
The unprecedented budget cuts mean that all 44 centers will be shut down. Their number already falls short of meeting the needs of the 400,000-strong immigrant workers nationwide under the employment permit program, considering that 231 multicultural family support centers are available for around 168,600 marriage migrants and their families across the country.
The no-budget plan comes amid the government's "flexible labor supply" policy, which brings in more foreigners to tackle the country's workforce shortage, which stems from the low birth rate and shrinking population, especially in remote regions.
"When there are people willing to work and businesses in need of their labor, it is essential to swiftly rectify any impractical regulations that stand in the way," President Yoon Suk Yeol said during a meeting last month on lifting regulatory barriers.
"This becomes even more of an imperative given the pressing demographic crisis. To effectively tackle the challenges posed by the changing population dynamics, it's crucial to ensure a flexible labor supply that aligns with workforce demands."
The labor ministry claimed that it will not suspend the country's support for immigrant workers, as local governments and other state organizations will divide tasks "for greater efficiency." It also aligns with the government's belt-tightening budget amid continued economic uncertainties.
However, experts did not buy the explanation, instead expressing concern.
"As seen in the cases of France and the United Kingdom, immigrant integration failure could become a cause for social unrest and lead to riots," said Son Jong-ha, the head of the Korea Support Center for Foreign Workers. "We need integrated support for foreign workers."
Cho Hyuk-jin, a researcher at the Korea Labor Institute, pointed out that the measures focus on bringing in more foreign workers, while getting rid of government support for helping new arrivals settle in.
"The government turned to cutting the budget first for foreign workers, who have no right to vote and can't file civil complaints," he said.
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