ED Yeminis on Jeju

Time to step up humanitarian efforts for refugees

The hottest topic on Cheong Wa Dae's online petition site this week has been the refugee situation on Jeju Island. More than 500 people from Yemen have applied for refugee status after fleeing their war-torn country. But the sudden increase in the applications for refugee status from Yemenis has triggered protests within and outside the island, with more than 200,000 people signing an online petition on the Cheong Wa Dae website to stop accommodating them.

The petitioners on the Cheong Wa Dae website have largely been blaming Jeju's lax visa system for the influx of Yemenis. To promote tourism, Jeju has allowed foreign visitors to stay for 30 days without a visa, with the exception for visitors from 11 countries, including Iran, Sudan and Syria, among others. On June 1, the Ministry of Justice added Yemen to the list of countries excluded from the visa-free entry to rein in the refugee applications.

Some people have been posting racially biased comments about the people and the culture of the Middle East and expressed concerns that an inflow of more foreigners, on top of the Chinese, will threaten the safety of Jeju residents.

For the refugee applicants, leaving their homeland behind and settling down in a new country is a matter of life and death. Koreans need to approach the issue with caution and refrain from old prejudices against certain cultures.

The issue of the Yemenis on Jeju has received much attention on the occasion of June 20 World Refugee Day. President Moon Jae-in has instructed relevant authorities to conduct a review of the situation on Jeju regarding the asylum seekers.

The surge in refugee application is not something Korea has much experience with, unlike countries in Europe. President Moon's order is timely and should pave the way for the creation of policies to help the asylum seekers within legal boundaries.

This will show the world Korea is willing to do its part as a responsible member of the global community and honor its commitment to humanitarian endeavors, particularly when remembering our own history of war and foreign occupation that led many Koreans to flee their homeland.

It is also necessary for the local and central governments to come up with ways to address the concerns held by local residents, such as checking any abuse of Jeju's visa-free entry system.