ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - NGOs make appeal for immigrant workers

Seoul (Agenzia Fides) – NGOs of Korea, Christian and non alike, have denounced the conditions of the immigrant workers in South Korea, who are discriminated against, exploited, and forced to work in terrible conditions. They ask the government to take serious measures to place an end to this worrisome phenomenon.
According to official data, there are nearly 700,000 immigrant workers in Korea. Most of them work in the manufacturing businesses, in agriculture, or in fishing. Nearly one third of them are illegal and thus, do not have official permission to work in the country.
South Korea is one of the first Asian countries to recognize the rights of immigrants, however the workers (whether they are legal or not) continue to suffer discriminations.
According to a study done in the area of workers and volunteers, the migrants from China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and other countries in the region are forced to work long hours without extra pay. They must work with heavy machinery and dangerous chemicals, and have little or no training and work without any protection. When there are accidents on the job, many do not receive proper medical attention and cannot make claims.
Women, especially, are submitted to exploitation and sexual harassment by managers, even foreign ones. The dorm-style living situations of the workers are also often amidst promiscuity.
Before an immigrant worker can change jobs, their boss must sign a sort of “release form,” a procedure that makes them even more subject to exploitation. If they cannot find another job in two months time, they are fired. If the boss refuses to grant their resignation, they find themselves amidst unbearable conditions.
In September 2008, the Korean government announced its intention to expel, by 2012, half of the nearly 220,000 illegal workers in the country. In the country, the NGOs have shown their concern for the growing xenophobia. International NGOs like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have also raised their voices to defend immigrants. All are asking the government to respond to the urgent situation. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 26/5/2009)