By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter

Hundreds of asylum seekers in South Korea are likely to face deportation as the Korea Immigration Service (KIS) announced plans to speed up its screening process on refugee claims.

Quickening the process does not necessarily mean that there will be an increase in the number of asylum seekers who are denied refugee status and then deported.

But statistics over the past eight years indicate that it is likely that many of the 700 applicants currently awaiting a decision will face deportation. Only 107 applicants have been given refugee status since 2001.

Asylum seekers have come to Korea from at least 40 countries - the largest group is from Nepal, followed by China, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Nigeria.

Unsuccessful applicants have either left the country on their own or were deported after being caught while residing here illegally.

Many unsuccessful applicants lacked evidence to prove why and to what degree they were persecuted in their state of origin, the office said.

"In line with repeated calls from the international community, the government has decided to hasten screening," said Kim Jae-nam, deputy manager in charge of refugee affairs at KIS.

"Last year, we faced strong complaints from pro-refugee advocates and NGOs both at home and abroad for delaying the screening."

Last December, the number of pending cases reached a record high of 1,450, according to the office. So the immigration department increased its manpower to expedite the process.

"Only two officials were involved in refugee affairs until last year. In February, we hired four more to accelerate the screening," he said. "Since May, four other back-up officials have been dispatched to the office from the Ministry of Public Administration and Security."

The government has pledged to shorten the time period needed to complete the first-round of screening by six months from the current one year by 2010. In addition, those whose cases remain undecided for more than one year will be allowed to find jobs.

Pro-refugee activists have raised concerns that officials would handle cases in a cursory manner if they set a deadline.

"A cautious approach is necessary," said Kim Seong-il, director of NANCEN, a pro-refugee NGO. "For asylum seekers, deportation means a possible death."

Kim underlined the fact that the Korean government has made the utmost effort to protect asylum seekers here from any external threats.

pss@koreatimes.co.kr