Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Seoul (Fides Service) – Concern for the situation of irregular immigrant workers in South Korea, whose living conditions are often at the limit of survival and human dignity, was voiced by the Korean Bishops’ Commission for Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples. On Saturday 15 November the Commission called a meeting with diocesan immigration pastoral delegates to discuss the situation. Bishop Peter Kang U-il spoke of the difficulties of some 130,000 irregular immigrants without residence permit forced to hide for fear of the police and therefore out of reach for networks of assistance. A second meeting has been organised for 12 December in collaboration with the Bishops’ Commission for Social and Labour Problems.
Observers say that Seoul is in the grip of an economic crisis in the industrial sector, mainly affecting larger industries and thousands of jobs may be lost. Over the past few months demonstrations and strikes have been organised by trade unions. In this situation immigrant workers are in a sort of “limbo»: not eligible for right of abode, they may be repatriated as the need arises in the labour market when their four year residence permit expires.
In these extremely precarious conditions recently two irregular immigrant workers from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka faced with the desperate alternative of voluntary departure or forced repatriation committed suicide. The case of the two men caused widespread shock and led to intervention by human rights associations and Catholic communities.
According to the South Korea ministry of justice some 13,000 immigrants are destined to be repatriated: 80,000 with an expired residence permits; 50,000 who do not stand to benefit from the new immigration laws. So far only 10.000 immigrant workers have left South Korea, the rest live in hiding. (PA) (Fides Service 19/11/2003 lines 31 words 294)
