Rights commission probes Hanshin University accused of forcing Uzbek students to return home

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea / Korea Times file photo

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) initiated an investigation into Hanshin University after more than 20 Uzbek students enrolled at an affiliated Korean language school were allegedly forced to return to their home country.

On Nov. 27, 23 Uzbek students were falsely informed that they would be taken to the immigration office to obtain their alien registration cards. Once aboard a bus, they were taken directly to Incheon International Airport, where it was reported that 22 of the students departed on a plane bound for Uzbekistan.

One of the students with health issues did not board the flight.

Contrary to the university's insistence that there was no force involved, it is alleged that university staff threatened the students during the bus ride, warning them of potential imprisonment if they visited the immigration office rather than simply agreeing to leave.

The students' phones were also confiscated by staff, and some faculty members accompanied them to the boarding gate as part of the university's strategy to make the students leave Korea.

The NHRCK received a petition regarding Hanshin University's handling of the incident on Monday. The commission plans to assign an investigator to examine whether any human rights violations occurred during the students' repatriations.

The NHRCK refrained from providing further details about the case, citing that an investigation has just begun.

Hanshin University conveyed its position through the school's official website. According to the university's Office of International Affairs, the actions taken were preemptive measures to prevent potential disadvantages for international students. These disadvantages could include difficulty re-entering Korea in the future due to issues with immigration authorities resulting from non-compliance.

The university also clarified on its website that the students repatriated to Uzbekistan had their visas canceled because they failed to adhere to the immigration office's previously announced rules for maintaining financial balance certificates.

On Friday, the chancellor of Hanshin University issued a statement on the website, apologizing for the incident. However, the university maintained its stance that the students had no choice but to leave due to visa issues.

Choi Min-sung, a professor at the Office of International Affairs at Hanshin University, mentioned the difficulty of providing answers beyond the official statement due to the ongoing investigation.

The Embassy of Uzbekistan in Korea also did not respond to inquiries about the issue.

Meanwhile, students are expressing their discontent with the university through various channels, putting up posters, holding prayer meetings and forming voluntary action groups.

Moon Sung-woung, a Hanshin University student, organized a voluntary group and collected signatures from 1,800 individuals and 100 civic groups to be displayed on a poster condemning the university's actions.

"It is questionable whether any of the school's decision-makers were unaware of the issue until the notion of compelling international students to depart the country arose," he said.

Moon plans to take further action with the voluntary group he formed to condemn the university's administration, including holding press conferences.