World Immigration News

Immigration detention centers to provide counseling on unpaid wages

Release Date: 2025-12-28
Media: The Korea Herald
Summary: South Korea’s Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Employment and Labor will introduce a new program to help migrant workers held in immigration detention centers recover unpaid wages, even if they worked without valid visas. Starting Monday, regular counseling services will be offered at five major detention facilities, with labor inspectors visiting every two weeks to handle reports and investigations. After a pilot phase, the government will consider expanding the program to all 14 detention centers nationwide.

The initiative follows a September policy change that waives officials’ duty to report undocumented migrants who file unpaid wage claims and allows temporary release from detention so they can pursue legal action. To support effective counseling and investigations, detention centers will collect employer information in advance, provide computers and printers, and offer interpretation services in 20 languages. Guidance on unpaid wage assistance will also be displayed in multiple languages.

Authorities said that if inspectors confirm wage theft, the worker’s detention will be promptly suspended. The justice minister emphasized that all workers have the right to fair pay for work performed, regardless of their immigration status, while the labor minister stressed that wage arrears should not result from issues related to a worker’s period of stay.
Tags: Korea

Released on

Article Title