What makes a person choose between legal and illegal means to work abroad?  What makes him/her prefer to work legally or illegally during his/her stay in a foreign country?          

This case study aims to explore the factors, which push and pull unskilled Filipino migrant workers to resort to illegal migration in the Republic of Korea.  The variables considered are: (1) structural factors, such as the labor supply side push factors, and labor demand side pull factors; (2) systemic factors, such as the migration policy of the labor-sending and -receiving countries; and (3) institutional factors, such as family, government agencies directly involved in overseeing international labor migration matters, recruitment agencies, religious groups, and non-government organizations. 

The research assumed that the Korean government policy of accepting unskilled foreign workers through the Korean Federation of Small and Medium Business (KFSMB) Trainee Scheme, under the Korean Alien Industrial Technology Training Program (AITTP), serves as a “push” factor for workers to choose illegal work. 

This case study is a survey of Filipino unskilled migrant workers in Seoul, Korea.  The actual survey was conducted on 17 October to 7 November 1999, and a total of 53 respondents were interviewed using structured questionnaires prepared in Pilipino. The respondents were classified into three types: (1) trainees, who have legal work status; (2) runaway trainees who entered Korea legally as trainees, and left the company where they were assigned to work; thus, considered illegal workers; and (3) illegal entrants who entered Korea through a tourist visa, stayed in the country beyond the duration allowed, and were working at the time of the survey.

The major findings are as follows:

•     The main purpose for working abroad is financial, and the reason is directed toward improving one’s living condition.  About one-fourth (24.7%) of the respondents cited financial reasons.  Others were more specific, such as to get a higher income job (19.2%), or support one’s family dependents and send them to school (19.2%).
  
  

•      Almost 20% of the responses of illegal workers pertain to the intention of merely seeking adventure, or to get away from personal problems.
  
  

•      About 34.4% of the total responses cited that Korea was chosen as a country of destination primarily because of the easy and faster process of entry, regardless whether the means utilized was legal or otherwise.  The presence of friends and relatives, who provide information and assistance in finding jobs, was also a contributing factor for workers to choose Korea among other alternative destinations.
  
  

•      The training allowance received by trainees is about 50% less than what the illegal workers commonly get.  However, foreign workers in general were paid wages averaging just a little over half of those of Korean workers.
  
  

•      Half of the trainees (six respondents) reported that they get as much as 600,001 to 700,000 Korean Won, while most of the illegal workers (14 respondents, or 37%) are paid as high as 900,001 to 1.5 million Korean Won.  Evidently, the big difference in salary level is a “pull” factor for workers or trainees to go illegal.
  
  

•      The major problem mentioned by majority, 54 percent of the trainees and 33 percent of the illegal workers, revolves around problems on the terms and conditions of work.  The low salary of trainees is the main reason given by runaway trainees for deserting their legal work status.
  
  

•      The most common coping mechanism adopted by all the respondents to solve their problems is practicing tolerance, diplomacy, patience and resignation to their difficult situation.  The church and migrant workers’ organizations are perceived to effectively respond to and assist Filipino migrant workers in Korea.
  
  

•      The forced savings policy in the trainee scheme is a deterring factor for trainees not to run away from the job contract.  Some trainees favorably look upon it as a good way to help them save money they can use for the future.
  
  

•      A relatively higher salary and freedom to choose the kind of job he/she wants and being able to do whatever he/she wants are the major reasons workers would prefer to keep their illegal work status.
  
  

•      Security in terms of job tenure, and payment of salary of a trainee status are influencing factors mentioned by illegal workers who would prefer to have a legal work status.  This is favored more than being constantly at risk and afraid of being caught, or thrown out of work.
  
  

•      Comments about not having the liberty to move around were raised by both the trainees and illegal workers, including runaway trainees.  Some trainees say they are restricted by their employers, fearing they will run away, while the illegal workers also experience the same limitation and constraints of not being able to freely move around, for fear of being caught.
  
  

•      Based on comments raised by most of the respondents, the trainee scheme is generally looked upon by both the legal and illegal workers as not effective largely due to the incidence of contract violations.

The underlying factors that push and pull workers to resort to illegal migration are the structural problems existing in the Philippines and Korea.  The poor economic conditions in the Philippines, as manifested by poverty, income inequality and high rate of unemployment, give the workers in the labor supply side push factors to seek employment opportunities abroad, despite the costs, especially if illegal means are used. 

On the one hand, Korea provides a labor demand side pull factor, with their demands for unskilled labor needed by their small and medium manufacturing sector, and other sectors.  The short supply of young people in Korea’s labor force who are not willing to take on the 3D jobs, combined with the high educational attainment of their workforce have resulted in pressure to resort to unskilled foreign labor.  All these imply that labor migration is basically economically motivated.

Immediate factors, however, exist that can give trigger push or pull effects on workers to choose illegal migration.  These are the systemic factors in the form of the labor migration policy of both the labor-sending and labor-receiving countries.  The net effect could either be to encourage or discourage workers to choose illegal entry or resort to illegal work.