ILLEGAL MIGRANTS IN JEJUDO ISLAND

[Anchor Lead]

Police have apprehended 30 illegal migrants from China on Jejudo Island. Crimes committed by foreign residents on the island have surged, as the number of illegal migrants now surpasses 10,000 justin Jejudo alone.

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Dozens of police officers enter a building in a rural area in the city of Jeju.

[Soundbite] "Take out the handcuffs! Handcuffs!"

Police and immigration officials raided the building after obtaining information that it houses a large group of illegal migrants. Thirty illegal migrants from China, from those in their 20s to those in their 50s, have been detained this time. They capitalized on the fact that entry to Jeju is visa-free, and ended up staying on the island longer than the permitted period of 30 days. Some of the migrants have stayed in Jeju for as long as two years, working at construction sites and farms. This is the first detention of illegal migrants on Jeju since the special crackdown was launched in a bid to curb crimes committed by foreigners residing on the island. The number of crimes committed by foreign residents in Jeju surged from about 330 in 2014 to more than 630 last year, nearly doubling in just four years. The number of illegal migrants who committed crimes rose from 12 to 105.

[Soundbite] KIM HANG-NYEON(JEJU SPECIAL SELF-GOVERNING PROVINCIAL POLICE AGENCY) : "We will continue to stage crackdowns in places where locals can be targeted easily by criminals rather than in small business establishments such as eateries."

Some 13,000 foreigners are estimated to reside in Jeju illegally. Measures are needed to prevent illegal stays by foreign nationals and crimes committed by them.