By Kim Se-jeong
Mudassir Iqbal, the community welfare attache at the Pakistani Embassy in Seoul, had a broad job description which included taking care of Pakistani workers in Korea.
This meant sleepless hours and restless weekends with numerous road trips throughout Korea. Last week, he wrapped up three-and-a-half years of duties.
One of his routine trips was to Incheon International Airport, where he would pick up newly-arrived groups of workers.
The last big group, comprised of nearly 50 workers, arrived right before the G20 Seoul Summit in November. The next is slated to arrive in early January, for which he may not be here.
His responsibilities were to welcome them, introduce them to the Korean authorities and brief them about Korea.
“I told them about the adjustments they’d have to make to live well in Korean society,” he said.
“They’re like diplomats. What they talk about and how they behave determines how local Koreans perceive Pakistan,” the attaché said as to what he told each and every new worker.
Workers arrive with a basic command of the local language, as they have to pass a language test to be able to work here under the Employment Permit System (EPS).
Iqbal’s official duties end as the Korean authorities take over to escort the workers to Anseong in Gyeonggi Province, where they spend the next three days in training before starting work.
Anseong is home to the biggest foreign workers’ community in Korea. It also hosts the largest number of Pakistani workers in Korea.
Pakistan and Korea launched their partnership under the EPS in 2006. Currently 5,662 Pakistani workers are living in Korea through the program.
Korea runs the EPS with 15 countries, including the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand.
Iqbal also dealt with consular services, which took place on weekends.
“If they come up here to get a passport renewed, they’d have to spend lots of money and time,” he said.
Daejeon, Daegu and Busan were among the places he most frequently visited as there are large Pakistani populations located there.
On rare occasions, he was obliged to visit hospitals to take care of the bodies of deceased workers. On behalf of the families, who usually can’t travel to Korea, he settled compensation matters for them and prepared the body to be sent back home.
“During my tenure, eight death cases were reported, and we arranged transportation of their bodies to their hometowns,” the attache said.
Workers usually come on a three-year contract, which can be extended. At the end of the contract, “many would like to stay here longer,” he said.
The minimum wage of 4,400 won per hour is still much higher than what they’d earn at home, which is the main reason for their wish to extend their stay in Korea. The lure of higher pay can contribute to better lives for those back home and cause some workers to even stay on undocumented.
According to the Immigration Office’s statistics, the total number of illegal Pakistani workers in Korea is 311, a figure the attache said is moderately lower compared to other nations. The number only represents EPS workers, excluding those who entered Korea on a different visa.
He said the government encourages people to return after their initial contract ends.
The EPS agreement between Korea and Pakistan only allows male workers.
Female Pakistani workers can travel as guest workers, he explained, but mostly to the Middle East and Europe where they are employed as nurses and teachers.
He said Pakistan would very much like to send qualified female teachers and nurses to Korea. Korea is recruiting English-speaking people for teaching, but when it comes to nurses, demand in Korea is almost zero. Instead, Korea is an exporter of nurses.
Iqbal remembered one Pakistani national who made headlines in Seoul as a terrorist.
He said the case was blown out of proportion by the local media, which described him as contemplating an attack in Korea. He explained, however, the Pakistani national entered Korea as a sailor. He was arrested while hiding out in the Daegu area, violating Korean immigration law. The attache said all workers who arrive in Korea undergo a security check.
He was among a small number of diplomats with the same job description.
Not all the EPS partner countries keep a staffer in residence, including the Philippines, Thailand and Bangladesh.
Wrapping up his three-year post in a few days, he praised the working conditions in Korea and said how the employers treated guest workers was pleasant.
“The system (EPS) is very transparent in recruitment and guarantees their rights in workplaces. The working condition of the foreign workers in Korea has improved and is very helpful to make the life of foreign workers better.”
In particular, he appreciated Seoul’s signing of a Declaration of Safety and Health at Work in June, 2008.