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An African man walks on the so-called “African Street” in Itaewon, central Seoul, Thursday. The street is largely deserted, with only a few shops open. / Korea Times photo by Michael Schreiber |
By Lee Hyo-sik
A large number of Nigerians and other African nationals are living in Itaewon in Seoul. But there are some signs that they are moving out of the town to settle in Ansan and other cities in Gyeonggi Province where many foreigners have formed large communities.
Merchants in the Korea’s No. 1 district for expats and foreign tourists express concerns that the government’s intensifying crackdown on illegal aliens and possible terrorist suspects ahead of the upcoming G20 summit could contribute to forcing the African population in the area to dwindle.
At the same time, redevelopment projects in the region and rising rents are also making it harder for African nationals to remain there.
Nigerians residing in Itaewon claim that landlords are reluctant to lease them housing and demand larger security deposits from them, compared to Americans and other nationals.
According to the Yongsan District Office which has jurisdiction over Itaewon, the number of Nigerian residents there declined 18.8 percent to 605 in August this year from 719 two years ago.
Legally-residing Ghanaians in the district also dropped to 62 from 79 during the same two-year period. Nigerians account for about 70 percent of all Africans living in the district.
Given that many Nigerians and other African nationals stay here illegally, the number of Africans leaving Itaewon is likely to grow.
Owners of shops and restaurants catering to mostly Africans said the number of customers has decreased over the past year, posting a substantial sales drop.
Additionally, street vendors selling pre-paid phone cards and other necessities to Africans also complained about the declining sales.
A police officer patrolling Itaewon said the immigration office and police jointly launched a large-scale crackdown on Nigerians and other African nationals in November last year to apprehend those who had overstayed their visas or were suspected of being involved in terrorist groups ahead of the G20 summit this November.
“I think the clampdown might have encouraged some Africans to move out of downtown Seoul. On top of that, there has been a rumor that the government will again carry out a full-scale crackdown on foreigners right before the G20 gathering, which has made more Nigerians leave Itaewon for other places,” he said.
In fact, many Nigerians have relocated to Ansan, Dongducheon and other cities in Gyeonggi Province where many foreigners live in groups.
According to the Gyeonggi Provincial Government, the number of registered Nigerians totaled 424 in June, up from 346 a year ago.
Temporary decline
Considering the large number of illegal aliens from the oil-rich country, the actual number is likely to have increased by a larger margin.
However, the leader of the Nigerian Community told Yonhap News that many of his fellow countrymen left Itaewon because of soaring living costs and undue discrimination against them, not because of the government crackdown.
“Just because we are Nigerians, we are asked to pay the security deposit twice as big as the one other nationals pay. Itaewon is a great place for us to live. But it has become too expensive to stay in the area,” he was quoted as saying.
He also complained about the Seoul Immigration Service’s stricter screening of Nigerians. “The Seoul office is known to take a harsher stance toward us. I heard many Nigerians decided to relocate to Gyeonggi Province to extend their visas more easily.
However, the Nigerian Embassy here is not aware of the ongoing Nigerian exodus from Itaewon.
An embassy official told The Korea Times Thursday that he has not heard about it, saying he is not in a position to comment on the issue.
Cha Sang-ahn, an official at the Yongsan District Office in charge of foreigners’ registrations, said the number of Nigerians officially residing in the district has declined over the past few years. “I am not sure why the Nigerian population has declined. It could be a temporary trend. The number may bounce back in the future. Who knows?”
Lee Eun-young, an employee at the Itaewon-Hannam Global Village Center, said the number of visitors to the center has increased at a steady pace over the years. “We do not feel that the foreign population in Itaewon has fallen. Of course, our main visitors are Americans and Canadians who tend to lead a more stable and secure life, compared to Africans and Southeast Asians. But I cannot say whether Nigerians and other Africans have left the area or not.”
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무디스, 스페인·伊·포르투갈 신용등급 강등
