Plans to bring in foreign domestic workers in Seoul have been shelved due to the suspension of the Philippines** sending workers to South Korea, while some local farms will also have fewer seasonal Filipino workers than in previous years, resulting in a shortage of workers.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government** said last year that it would bring in about 100 Filipino domestic workers in the second half of 2023 as a pilot program to address the shortage of people willing to work as maids here. However, the plan has been postponed due to the refusal of the Philippines** to approve it.
Instead, the city said it now aims to bring in 100 Filipino domestic workers in the first half of this year.
To be honest, we don't know yet if we'll be able to bring them in the first half of the year. An official from the Seoul Metropolitan Government said, "This is because it is necessary to obtain permission from the Philippines and further negotiate specific issues such as wages." ”
Manila said Filipinos face increasing human rights abuses in South Korea, which is why they are suspending the dispatch of workers to South Korea.
According to the Philippine Department of Employment and Labor, the Migrant Workers Department of the Philippines** has received many complaints from overseas Filipino workers. These complaints include unsafe working conditions, underpaid wages, overwork, and even worker deaths.
On the 9th, two Filipino seasonal farm workers working in Jeonnam Haeman reported to the Jeonnam Police Agency about human trafficking by Hong, a South Korean. It is reported that Hong managed the bank accounts of these Filipino laborers under the pretext of intermediary fees and accommodation fees, withdrew millions of won, and took their passports.
Due to the shortage of manpower in agriculture and fishery, South Korea** issued 5-8 month work visas to foreign seasonal workers from 11 countries. According to the Ministry of Justice, there were 3,612 foreign seasonal workers in 2019, and in 2022 this number increased more than fivefold to 19,718. The Ministry of Justice introduced 1 in the first half of this year (1 June) with this visa67.88 million seasonal agricultural, forestry and fishery workers.
According to local governments, more than 20 percent of all seasonal workers in the country are from the Philippines. From 2018 to 2022, the Philippines had the largest number of seasonal workers in South Korea with 4,973 out of 11** countries.
As a result, South Korea** and local government groups are trying to convince the Philippines** to resume dispatching workers. But it's unclear when this will happen, according to informed **.
In this regard, some localities** have introduced seasonal workers from other countries. Jeonbuk Wanju said that this year, seasonal workers were brought in from Mongolia, Thailand, Cambodia and other places.