This is part of the amendment to the Immigration Control Act that was recently passed by the Korean National Assembly in its session on April 12 and announced by the Ministry of Justice on April 14.
Specifically, the amended law allows the protection period for foreigners to be extended from 18 to 36 months to create opportunities for foreigners to express their opinions directly and have a prescribed time to arrange means of transport to bring foreigners back to their country.
The amended law also provides for the establishment of an independent Foreigners Protection Commission to enhance impartiality and independence in assessing deportation decisions and protection activities. The commission will have nine members who are civil servants, lawyers and experts in specialized fields.
The law amendment is aimed at effectively curbing the indefinite detention of deported foreigners in temporary shelters. Current law stipulates that if a deported foreigner cannot be repatriated immediately for reasons such as not having a passport or not having a means of transportation, he or she can be protected in a government-designated protection facility until repatriation. By the end of 2023, the number of foreigners protected for the execution of deportation orders was 34,580.
A Justice Ministry official said that with the passage of the amended law, the authorities have the responsibility to actively implement expedited deportation measures within the prescribed time limit, avoiding human rights violations. The amended law will take effect on June 1, 2025 after going through legislative procedures.
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