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| Gettyimagesbank |
By Jung Min-ho
Two brokers have been arrested on charges of helping 146 foreigners file fraudulent refugee applications for money.
According to Busan Immigration Office's investigation bureau Monday, a Vietnamese woman, 27, was recently arrested for allegedly helping 91 Vietnamese file the applications with false information so they could stay and work in Korea until the process is completed.
The woman is suspected of receiving between 1.3 million won and 4 million won from each ― a total of 180 million-360 million won ― in return.
In a separate case, a Russian man, 24, was arrested for allegedly providing the illegal services to 55 foreigners, many of whom are Russians. He is suspected of taking 1.2 million won from each ― a total of 60 million won.
So far, 50 of them have been deported. The immigration office said it is searching for the rest.
According to investigators, applicants falsely claimed that they faced persecution in their countries for reasons race, religion, sexual orientation and others. But they concluded that these were not real reasons.
"It usually takes about three years to finish the whole process, so brokers promote that they (foreigners) can make money during the process," an immigration official said.
The immigration office said it will act decisively in such cases and strengthen screening procedures for asylum seekers.
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