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Sat, June 10, 2023 | 07:33
Illegal Thai aliens double
태국인 불체자 작년 2만3천명 급증…무슨 일이?
Posted : 2015-02-22 17:18
Updated : 2015-02-22 22:40
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By Lee Kyung-min

The number of Thai nationals illegally staying here nearly doubled last year, according to the Ministry of Justice, Sunday.

As of the end of last year, a total of 94,314 Thai nationals were living in Korea — 44,283 of them without proper visas — almost double the 23,618 in 2013. The figure was 14,095 in 2011, 17,591 in 2012 and 55,110 in 2013.

The Korea Immigration Service said Thai visitors linked to visa brokers or transnational crime rings are abusing Korea's visa waiver program in order to work here illegally.

The number of Thais staying here doubled to 94,314 from 55,110 in 2013. Until 2013, the yearly increase was negligible — 45,634 in 2011 and 45,945 in 2012.

In 2013, out of the 25,672 newly added illegal aliens, more than 90 percent of them — 23,618 — were from Thailand.

The ministry said most of these took advantage of visa waiver program. Foreigners from certain countries, including Thailand and China, are allowed to stay here up to 90 days without a visa.

Some 145,861 Chinese visited Korea on this program last year, followed by 94,314 Thai people and 65,880 Americans.

Last year alone, out of the total 67,482 Thais who came here without a visa, more than 60 percent — 40,928 — became illegal aliens, according to the ministry.

The immigration office said it is beefing up efforts to sort out those who it suspects are staying illegally, yet enforcing any entry ban on them is difficult.

"Denying such entry only based on our suspicions might lead to diplomatic conflict. And a larger number of our citizens travel to Thailand than those visiting here. We have to take that into consideration," an official from the immigration office said.

Currently, 208,778 illegal aliens are staying here, up 14 percent from 2013's 183,106.

According to the ministry, as of last year, some 30 percent of Mongolians, 29 percent of Bangladeshis, 26.9 percent of Pakistanis, 23.9 percent of Filipinos, 20 percent of Vietnamese and 16 percent of Sri Lankans were staying here illegally.


태국인 불체자 작년 2만3천명 급증…무슨 일이?

작년 태국인 입국이 급격히 증가하고 이들 중 불법 체류자도 전년보다 2만4천명 가까이 늘어나 그 배경에 관심이 쏠린다.

22일 법무부 출입국·외국인정책본부에 따르면 작년 말 기준으로 국내 태국인은 9만4천314명이며 이 가운데 47.0%인 4만4천283명이 불법 체류 상태다.

국내 태국인 둘에 하나는 불법 체류자라는 뜻이다.

태국인의 불법 체류율은 작년 전체 외국인 가운데 가장 높아 몽골(30.2%), 방글라데시(29.4%), 파키스탄(26.9%), 필리핀(23.9%), 베트남(20.7%), 스리랑카(16.2%)의 불법 체류율을 크게 웃돌았다.

그렇지만 태국은 불법 체류율이 이처럼 높은 나라가 아니었다.

최근 수년간 통계를 보면, 작년부터 갑자기 태국에서 한국행 바람이 일면서 불법 체류자가 급증하는 추세를 확인할 수 있다.

국내 체류 태국인은 2011년 4만5천634명, 2012년 4만5천945명, 2013년 5만5천110명으로 서서히 늘어나다가 작년 갑자기 9만4천314명으로 급증했다.

2013년에서 2014년 사이 국내 체류 외국인이 14.1% 증가한 점을 고려하면 태국인 입국자 증가 폭이 두드러져 보인다. 

태국인 불법 체류자 수도 2011년 1만4천95명, 2012년 1만7천591명, 2013년 2만665명이었다가 작년 한 해 2만3천618명 늘어나 4만4천283명으로 급증했다. 작년 한 해 늘어난 전체 외국인 불법 체류자 2만5천672명 중 91.99%가 태국인이었다는 말이다.  

불법체류를 목적으로 하는 태국인들은 무비자 단기 입국을 하고 나서 체류 한도인 석 달을 넘기는 경우가 대부분이다. 

태국과 우리나라는 상호 비자 면제 협정을 맺고 있어 태국인들이 우리나라에 올 때는 여권만 갖고 비행기를 타면 된다. 

작년 단기 체류 자격으로 들어온 태국인 6만7천482명 가운데 60.7%인 4만928명이 불법 체류자가 됐다. 

단기 체류자 수만 놓고 보면, 태국인은 작년 말을 기준으로 미국(6만5천880명)을 제치고 중국인(14만5천861명)에 이어 체류자 수가 두 번째로 많다.

법무부도 이런 상황을 인식하고 작년 말 공항 등 일선 출입국 기관에 태국인 입국 때 불법 체류 가능성을 철저히 심사하라고 문서로 지시했다. 실제로 연간 수 천명에 달하는 태국인이 우리나라 공항을 통과하지 못하고 돌아가는 것으로 전해졌다. 

하지만 태국이 비자 면제국인 상황에서 불법 취업이 의심되는 이들을 명확히 가려내 입국 거부를 하기 쉽지 않은 것 또한 현실이다. 

태국과 우리나라 사이에 맺은 비자 면제 협정을 취소하는 방안도 고려할 수 있지만 이는 태국과의 외교적 마찰을 일으킬 소지가 있다. 게다가 우리나라 입국 태국인보다 관광 등 목적으로 태국에 가는 우리 국민의 수가 더 많아 많은 국민의 불편이 예상된다는 점에서 당국의 고민도 깊다.

법무부 관계자는 '현재도 공항에서 불법 체류가 의심되는 외국인들을 걸러내 입국 거부를 하고 있지만 태국인의 입국 규모가 급증하다 보니 불법 체류율 증가로 이어지고 있다'며 '불체자 증가 뒤에 현지나 국내에 브로커들이 관여하고 있을 가능성이 있을 수도 있다'고 말했다. 

한편 작년말 기준, 국내 불법체류 외국인은 전년의 18만3천106명보다 14% 증가한 20만8천778명으로 22만3천464명으로 정점을 찍은 2007년 이후 가장 많았다. (연합뉴스)
Emaillkm@ktimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
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