The Refugees Act will go into effect beginning July 1. The Ministry of Justice says the law is intended to ensure asylum seekers’ procedural rights and improve their treatment. South Korea will be the first Asian country to enact an independent law governing refugees, and this is a welcome move, given the universal humanitarian spirit to help and protect those who fled their home countries for fear of racial, religious or political persecution.
Under the newly legislated act, refugee application counters will be established at airports and harbors so asylum seekers can file applications upon entering the country and have preliminary reviews. They can ask for interpretation and legal aid services from the government and receive a work permit six months after the submission of their applications, unlike the current one year wait period.
For recognized refugees, the government will offer assistance for basic living, job training and social integration education. A refugee support center will also open in September on Yeongjong Island in Incheon to accommodate refugee applicants.
Seoul has made significant progress in joining international efforts to respect the rights of displaced people, but there is still a long way to go before it brings itself in line with international standards. This is illustrated well in the nation’s stinginess in recognizing refugees.
Since South Korea began receiving refugee status applications in 1994, 5,485 foreigners sought asylum, but only 329 have been admitted as refugees. Of the applicants, 3,542 were rejected and some of them voluntarily withdrew their applications. More than 1,400 foreigners are still waiting for their applications to be accepted.
Even if the 173 other asylum seekers who have been allowed to stay due to illness or other reasons are included, it would mean that only 12.4 percent have obtained refugee status ― one third of the global average of 37.8 percent. These statistics raise speculation that South Korea may be too rigorous in screening asylum seekers to minimize their staying here.
Given the explosive rise in the number of applicants ― from 148 in 2004 to 1,243 last year, the government needs to be more proactive with respect to the refugee issue. Specifically, the Justice Ministry’s insufficient budget allocation for asylum seekers ― 2.07 billion won for this year ― will raise doubt about Seoul’s commitment to this problem. What’s most important is for the nation to sympathize with the need to shoulder international obligations in compliance with its heightened global positioning and take action.