Assembly sees flurry of bills on tightening refugee screening

Yemeni asylum seekers walk along a hallway in the Olle Tourist Hotel on Jeju Island, July 4. Korean lawmakers are pushing for tighter refugee laws amid fierce debate in Korea about Yemeni refugees on the island. / AFP-Yonhap

By Park Ji-won

Korean lawmakers have submitted a flurry of bills to tighten rules on granting refugee status amid fierce debate over Yemeni refugees living on Jeju Island.

Some 550 Yemenis have sought refugee status this year after taking advantage of visa-free access to the island.

Rep. Kwon Chil-seung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea submitted a bill to revise the Refugee Act to tighten the screening process for asylum seekers.

Kwon's proposal gives authorities the right to stop refugee applicants proceeding to the interview stage under certain guidelines. These include rejecting applicants where there are reasonable grounds to consider them a threat to social order or national security. The bill also states that the ministry can reject applicants who cannot identify themselves after refusing to answer questions about their profile data.

Under the present law, the justice minister has to decide within seven days of an application whether to proceed to the interview stage, otherwise the applicant should be granted entry to Korea. After being allowed to enter, asylum seekers can be provided with living expenses, shelter, food and clothing for a certain time.

Applicants who are refused entry can appeal the ministry's decision in court within 90 days. They can legally stay in Korea until the final decision, which can take up to three years. But the justice ministry recently announced a revision of the Refugee Act to prevent such abuses.

Rep. Kang Seok-ho of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) also plans to submit a revision bill centered on shortening applicant screening time from six months to three.

Kang's bill is similar to Kwon's in terms of introducing guidelines to reject candidates. But his bill would see that “refugee brokers” face criminal charges if they help applicants submit fake documents or give false testimony for refugee status.

Meanwhile, Rep. Cho Kyoung-tae of the LKP submitted a bill Thursday to abolish the refugee law. Another bill submitted by Cho proposes to issue visas to foreigners who enter Jeju Island for any purpose.

“Not only is the overwhelming influx of asylum applicants not socially acceptable, by enacting the refugee law, criticism rises on the law as it is used as an alternative for immigration for economic advantages such as illegal jobs or extension of stay,” the abolition bill said.

Rep. Lee Un-ju of the Bareunmirae Party also plans to submit a revision bill to require people living in a refugee shelter to get permission from the justice minister whenever they want to leave the facility. It also states that foreigners who abuse the no-visa entry law cannot apply for refugee status.