By Lee Kyung-min
An increasing number of Koreans are protesting a government policy granting refugee status to foreigners after Jeju Island's local government introduced an “asylum seeker-friendly” policy to help them find jobs, a humanitarian initiative deemed an “undue favor” by jobless Koreans.
Over 200,000 people have signed a petition on the Cheong Wa Dae website demanding the government scrap or revise laws governing refugee status and the visa waiver program on Jeju Island.
“I think it is highly doubtful whether granting refugee status to foreigners and providing financial support would contribute to the public safety of Korea and economic prosperity of the island,” one petitioner wrote. “I have to doubt whether the group of people are really desperate enough to seek the status. The government should evaluate criteria and strengthen requirements.”
The harsh sentiment came after the Jeju branch of the Korea Immigration Service announced early this month that it will implement policies to help Yemeni asylum seekers, a substantial number of whom came to the island over the past few months to escape the ongoing civil war that began in 2015. They came here via a visa waiver program under which foreigners can stay for 30 days being given a visa on entry. All nationals but those from 11 countries suspected of being sponsors of terrorism are eligible for the program implemented in 2002 to promote the economy and attract foreign spending on the resort island.
The immigration office's measure reflected recommendations from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and human rights advocacy groups that called for greater protection for the displaced from conflict-ridden, war-ravaged countries in line with the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. Also known as the 1951 Refugee Convention, it is a United Nations multilateral treaty that defines a refugee, outlines the rights of individuals who are granted asylum and the responsibilities of nations that grant asylum. Korea adopted the treaty in 1992. The convention is based on the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognizes the rights of persons to seek asylum from persecution in other countries. The declaration stipulates that a refugee may enjoy rights and benefits in a state in addition to those provided for in the Convention.
However, public sentiment soured after the immigration office decided to allow job-seeking efforts on the island, activities previously deemed illegal and subject to punishment including deportation. The public including many young and jobless people have little compassion due to fierce competition in certain sectors of the job market, compounded by continued reports about hiring irregularities at banks and state-run firms in which children of the rich and powerful were given favors in getting highly coveted jobs.
Jeju's policy initially sought to acknowledge the financial hardship of the Yemenis staying in Korea, most of whom have no way of making a living after the 30-day visa expires. A total of 519 Yemenis have filed for refugee status as of May, an over 12-fold increase from 42 last year, and seven in 2016. No one sought the status in 2015. Most of the displaced that came to Korea this year had been in Malaysia, where they can stay for up to 90 days without visas. They came to Korea aboard a direct flight connecting a city in Malaysia with Jeju that was newly added last December.
Meanwhile, the petition came amid growing concern over foreigners' misuse of the Jeju-operated visa waiver program to stay in Korea illegally as many disappear after arriving on the resort island. Law enforcement authorities suspect they remain here illegally or cross over to the mainland to seek work. Police earlier detained a number of Chinese brokers for allegedly helping such people get jobs in return for about 10 million won ($9,800) per person. The number of foreigners coming to Jeju on the visa waiver program is rising, from 232,000 in 2012 to 629,700 in 2015. A substantial portion of them become illegal aliens after they overstay the 30 days. According to municipal government data, the number increased to 9,846 last year, a near ten-fold increase from 992 in 2012. Authorities suspect the number will surpass 11,000 by the end of the year.