Asylum seekers struggling to start new lives
Asylum seekers from Ethiopia urge the Korean government to revamp its refugee policies during a protest in front of the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday, which was World Refugee Day. /Yonhap
Refugee status is most important but hardest problem to solve
By Kim Se-jeong
Back in Egypt, Yasser worked as a photographer for a local NGO which waged anti-government campaigns.
Last year, amid a mounting crackdown on his colleagues, he and his wife fled their home country.
“Our life in Egypt was not bad, but the government began cracking down on NGOs and apprehending my colleagues, so I had to flee,” Yasser ― who refused to disclose his real name for the article ― told News1, a local internet news site in Korea. “We were ready to go anywhere where we would be welcomed. I heard the situation in Europe wasn’t so good, so I decided to come to South Korea.”
Upon arrival, Yasser submitted a refugee application but their first interview was unsuccessful. They are now awaiting the second round of interviews.
“There are many Egyptians who are here to work. And I assume interviewers considered us one of them.”
The couple is now staying at a shelter provided by an NGO in Seoul. Yasser is working at a factory and a restaurant to pay for his three-month-old daughter’s milk. He said back in Egypt, the couple had to postpone having a baby. “We didn’t feel safe enough. Only after we arrived in Korea, we were ready to have a baby.”
He wants to learn Korean and continue pursuing his photography career but the priority now is getting his legal status. That can take years. “I really hope to earn refugee status,” he said.
Yasser’s story is one of many in Korea where the number of asylum seekers has surged.
According to the Ministry of Justice, the number of applications increased from 423 in 2010 to 7,542 last year. The biggest number of asylum seekers came from Pakistan, followed by Egypt, China and Nigeria. The number of Syrian nationals is on the rise, as well, as many have fled their country over the last two years.
But few have been accepted. Last year, the government accepted 98 applicants, or 1.54 percent, a decrease from 11 percent in 2010, when 47 were accepted.
The ministry gave no explanation about the fall, but activists for asylum seekers’ rights said the image of refugees worsened recently after the terrorist attacks in Europe.
The most recent terrorist attack occurred only this week in London where a van ploughed into Muslim pedestrians outside a mosque. One was killed and 11 injured in the incident.
The Korean government is sending out mixed signals.
On a positive note, it passed the Refugee Law in 2013, becoming the first Asian country to do so. The law offers various kinds of assistance to those waiting for recognition. This move earned recognition in the international community, and the Korean government boasts about it.
However, the activists are skeptical that the government and society are really ready to accept them.
The Center for Refugee Rights in South Korea, wrote in a recent statement: “The acceptance rate is too low and that made us wonder if the Korean government has the will to take care of refugees.”