Migrant rights and other civic groups have condemned a bill proposed by conservative lawmakers that would require immigration authorities to publish crime statistics on foreign nationals, broken down by nationality and visa status, warning that the measure could fuel xenophobia. Civic organizations said Thursday that the proposal would stigmatize immigrants by singling them out as potential criminals, despite evidence showing that foreign residents are less likely to commit crimes than Koreans on average. "Crime statistics based on race or nationality carry a strong stigmatizing effect and can reinforce social discrimination against specific groups," a coalition of migrant rights organizations said in a statement. The groups noted that law enforcement agencies already collect such data, arguing that there is no reason for the justice ministry to carry out similar measures. "Prosecutors and police already compile crime statistics by nationality, and the crime rate among foreign nationals is roughly half that of Korean citizens. Given this, it is difficult to see what public benefit would