Afghan asylum seeker tries to set himself on fire during immigration interview
/ Courtesy of the Busan Police Station
By Cho Se-yong, Park Si-soo
An Afghan asylum seeker with a Pakistani passport tried to set himself on fire during an interview with an immigration official, police said Monday. The exact reason for the life-threatening act was unknown.
According to police, the asylum seeker, 39, was talking with an immigration official at the Busan Immigration Office on Monday morning. At around 10:40 a.m., he suddenly opened a 500mm gasoline-filled plastic bottle, poured the gas over his head, and tried to ignite a lighter.
He was subdued swiftly. Police said the incident took place when he and the official were discussing a re-trial of the asylum seeker’s rejected petition to get refugee status.