Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.
Cats Eye to monitor unlawful crackdown on migrant workers
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff reporter
Several migrant workers’ rights groups said Tuesday that they have decided to form a federation to jointly monitor and cope with “unlawful” crackdowns on unregistered immigrant laborers.
Their move comes as the government has stepped up efforts to deport those staying here illegally ahead of the G-20 summit scheduled in November.
Civic organizations including the Migrants’ Trade Union, Joint Committee with Migrants in Korea and Korean Confederation of Trade Unions will establish a watchdog named “Cats Eye” today at the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK).
The groups will educate citizens interested in joining the monitoring team for human rights abuses and station them as observers.
“Migrant workers are often harmed during crackdowns, but there is no concrete evidence except for the person’s statement to prove the violation of human rights. We will keep a lookout for raids on illegal foreigners to protect their human rights,” an official of the Migrants’ Trade Union said.
The federation distributed a guidebook on human rights violations in various languages, so immigrant workers can report crackdowns.
“We also plan to collect examples of unlawful crackdowns and file petitions to the NHRCK,” the official said.
The Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Labor and immigration authorities have recently stepped up their actions against illegal residents and companies employing illegal migrant workers starting this month.