전북 '외국인 계절근로자, 이탈률' 급감

최근 3년간 각 제도를 통해 국내로 입국한 농ㆍ어업 분야 외국인 노동자 이탈 수가 총 7,465명으로 파악된 가운데 전북은 급격히 감소 추세로 접어든 것으로 나타났다.

전북자치도는 "올해 외국인 계절근로자 도입이 대폭 증가했음에도 불구하고 이탈률이 안정적으로 관리되고 있다"고 8일 밝혔다.

올해 도내에 도입된 외국인 계절근로자는 총 6,177명으로 지난해 2,826명에 비해 두 배 이상 증가했다.

이탈률은 외국인 계절근로자(E-8) 도입 첫해인 2022년 32%(전체 1,006명 중 이탈 321명)를 차지했으나 2023년 7%(187명)ㆍ올 현재 0.6%(31명)로 집계돼 농가의 인력난 해소에 기여하고 있는 것으로 분석됐다.

특히 지난 2022년 이탈률이 가장 높았던 것은 네팔 정부가 계절근로제로 입국한 자국민의 재송출을 불허함에 따라, 고국으로 돌아가면 재입국이 불가능한 것을 알고, 불법체류자 신분을 감수하고 건설현장이나 공장으로 이동하기 위해 고창ㆍ무주 등에서 근무하던 282명이 계획적으로 집단 이탈했기 때문으로 분석됐다.

하지만, 도내지역 외국인 계절근로자 이탈률이 해를 거듭할수록 감소하고 있는 것은 근로 및 정착 여건을 개선하기 위한 다양한 정책이 결실을 맺고 있기 때문이다.

먼저, 결혼 이민자 가족 초청을 통해 안정적인 근로자를 확보하는데 주력했다.

지난 2022년 외국인 계절근로자 가운데 결혼이민자 비중은 5:5에 해당했으나 2023년 7:3까지 확대됐고 올해는 8:2를 목표로 하고 있다.

또 4개 시ㆍ군에 불과했으나 익산ㆍ임실ㆍ순창ㆍ고창 등 도내 7개 지자체 대표단이 외국인 근로자 이탈의 주요 원인 중 하나였던 브로커 개입을 차단하기 위해 직접 현지를 방문. 우수 인력을 선발했다.

전북자치도는 올 하반기에도 동계하우스 작물 재배에 투입할 외국인 계절근로자를 추가로 도입할 예정이다.

이철규 농생명정책과장은 "외국인 계절 근로자들의 이탈률이 대폭 감소하고 도입 인원이 안정적으로 증가하고 있는 것은 다양한 관리 및 지원 정책의 성과"라며 "앞으로도 빠르게 적응하고 안정적으로 정착할 수 있도록 다양한 지원책을 강화해 나가겠다"고 말했다.

한편, 국회 농림축산식품해양수산위원회 소속 더불어민주당 윤준병(정읍ㆍ고창) 의원이 법무부와 고용노동부로부터 제출받은 자료에 따르면 지난 2021년부터 올 7월까지 국내 입국한 농ㆍ축ㆍ어업 분야 외국인 노동자는 총 362,712명으로 집계됐다.

이를 세부적으로 살펴보면 ▲ 계절근로제 = 82,868명(농축산업 75,457명ㆍ어업 7,411명) ▲ 고용허가제(E-9) 비자 관련 = 279,844명(농축산업 242,026명ㆍ어업 37,818명)이다.

같은 기간 동안 계절근로제 또는 고용허가제로 국내에 입국했다가 중도 이탈한 외국인 노동자는 7,465명(계절근로제 2,523명ㆍ고용허가제 4,942명)이다.

지역별로 외국인 노동자 이탈은 ▲전남 2,2212명 = 계절근로제 474명ㆍ고용허가제 1,738명 ▲ 강원 1,025명 = 계절근로제 795명ㆍ고용허가제 230명) ▲ 전북 785명 = 계절근로제 539명ㆍ고용허가제 246명) ▲ 충남 747명 = 계절근로제 113명ㆍ고용허가제 634명 등으로 나타났다.

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【Below is the 'full text' of the English article translated by Google Translate.

Google Translate is working hard to improve understanding, and assumes that there are errors in the English translation.】

Jeonbuk 'foreign seasonal workers, dropout rate' plummets

32% in 2022ㆍ7% in 2023ㆍ0.6% as of this year

Reporter Kim Jong-jin

The number of foreign workers in the agricultural and fishing industries who entered the country through each system over the past three years was found to be a total of 7,465, and Jeonbuk appears to have entered a sharp decline.

Jeonbuk Self-Governing Province announced on the 8th, “Despite the significant increase in the introduction of foreign seasonal workers this year, the attrition rate is being managed stably.”

The total number of foreign seasonal workers introduced to the province this year was 6,177, more than double the number of 2,826 last year.

The dropout rate was 32% (321 people out of 1,006 total) in 2022, the first year of introduction of foreign seasonal workers (E-8), but was calculated to be 7% (187 people) in 2023 and 0.6% (31 people) as of this year. It was analyzed that it is contributing to resolving the manpower shortage.

In particular, the highest rate of departure in 2022 was that the Nepalese government did not allow the re-export of its nationals who entered the country under the seasonal work system, so they knew that they would not be able to re-enter the country if they returned to their home country, so they risked their status as illegal immigrants and moved to construction sites or factories. It was analyzed that 282 people working in Gochang, Muju, etc., had deliberately left the group. However, the reason that the rate of departure of foreign seasonal workers in the province is decreasing year by year is because various policies to improve working and settlement conditions are bearing fruit. Because.

First, we focused on securing stable workers by inviting married immigrant families.

In 2022, the proportion of marriage immigrants among foreign seasonal workers was 5:5, but it expanded to 7:3 in 2023 and is targeting 8:2 this year.

In addition, although it was only four cities and counties, delegations from seven local governments in the province, including Iksan, Imsil, Sunchang, and Gochang, visited the site directly to block the intervention of brokers, which was one of the main causes of foreign workers leaving. Excellent personnel were selected.

Jeonbuk Self-Governing Province plans to introduce additional foreign seasonal workers to cultivate winter house crops in the second half of this year.

Lee Cheol-gyu, head of the Agricultural and Life Policy Department, said, "The fact that the dropout rate of foreign seasonal workers has significantly decreased and the number of new hires is steadily increasing is the result of various management and support policies," and added, "We will continue to strengthen various support measures to ensure rapid adaptation and stable settlement." he said.

Meanwhile, according to data submitted by the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Employment and Labor by Rep. Yoon Jun-byeong (Jeongeup, Gochang) of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee, foreign workers in the agriculture, livestock and fishing sectors who entered the country from 2021 to July of this year are A total of 362,712 people were counted.

Looking at this in detail, ▲ Seasonal work system = 82,868 people (75,457 in agricultural and livestock industry, 7,411 in fishing) ▲ Employment Permit System (E-9) visa-related = 279,844 people (242,026 in agricultural and livestock industry, 37,818 in fishing).

During the same period, the number of foreign workers who entered the country under the seasonal work system or employment permit system and then left the country was 7,465 (2,523 under the seasonal work system and 4,942 under the employment permit system).

The number of foreign workers leaving by region is ▲ 2,2212 people in Jeonnam = 474 people using the seasonal work system, 1,738 people using the Employment Permit System ▲ 1,025 people in Gangwon = 795 people using the seasonal work system, 230 people using the Employment Permit System ▲ 785 people in Jeonbuk = 539 people using the seasonal work system, 246 people using the Employment Permit System. people) ▲ 747 people in South Chungcheong Province = 113 people under the seasonal work system and 634 people under the employment permit system.