Bangladesh worker detained for two months amid controversy over illegal broker involvement

A Bangladeshi migrant worker, who entered South Korea under the Employment Permit System (EPS) for manufacturing, is facing potential deportation after being detained for over two months. The worker, identified as Mr. A, claims he was unaware of any involvement with an illegal broker and entered the country through official government channels.

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If I had entered illegally, the Employment Center would not have helped me find a new job.

Mr. A was detained on March 30 by immigration officials in Ansan and is currently held at the Incheon Immigration Office. He was flagged during an operation targeting migrant workers who allegedly entered South Korea through illegal brokers. These brokers are accused of colluding with employers to charge migrant workers fees for guaranteed employment.

However, Mr. A insists he paid no money to any broker. He stated that he applied for work in South Korea through Bangladesh's official manpower export agency (BOESL), passed the Korean language test, and registered with the EPS system. He had previously worked in South Korea on an E-9 visa, and after leaving his first employer due to a lack of work, he found a new job through the Employment Center, which he believes would not have happened if his entry was illegal.

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It cannot be ruled out that the broker may have arbitrarily and falsely invited the worker. If the person concerned was not even aware of the broker's involvement, deportation is an excessive measure.

His lawyer, Choi Jeong-gyu, argues that the broker might have falsely invited Mr. A, and deporting him without his knowledge of the broker's involvement would be an excessive measure. The lawyer plans to file a lawsuit to cancel the deportation order and revocation of his residency status. Concerns have also been raised about potential data leaks from the EPS system, as Mr. A's job application screen was found on a broker's phone, suggesting a possible breach of migrant worker information.

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Problems with job seeker information leakage through EPS were raised last year, and similar incidents are recurring. Good-faith victims can occur due to systemic loopholes.