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> Unionists expelled on immigration charges (2007.12.14)


Unionists expelled on immigration charges

The government yesterday expelled three leaders of a foreign workers' union on immigration charges.

Civic organizations criticized the move as a "targeted crackdown" to suppress activism among migrant workers.

The three deported men included Nepalese nationals Khapung Kajiman and Tek Bahadur Gurung, who were head and vice-head of a nationwide union of foreign workers. Bangladeshi national Moniruzzamal Abul Dashar M, who served as secretary-general, was also expelled.

The government does not recognize the union as a legal entity.

The men were apprehended last month. Their appeals against deportation were dismissed and they were repatriated yesterday, the Justice Ministry said.

Khapung Kajiman was here illegally for nearly 16 years, Tek Bahadur Gurung for 13 years and Moniruzzamal Abul Dashar for 11 years, according to officials.

Tek Bahadur Gurung was expelled in 1991 but reentered in 2000 on a forged passport, the ministry said.

Immigration officials and the police have jointly conducted massive crackdowns on illegal immigrants since August.

Civic advocacy and labor groups argued that the expulsion of the unionists was unfairly carried out and a violation of human rights.

"The deportation was specifically targeting the migrant workers to destroy the union activities," Lee Jeong-won, an education and outreach director at the Migrant Trade Union, told The Korea Herald.

The ministry rebuffed the argument.

"To crack down on immigration-law offenders and deport them accordingly is a legitimate act of exercising administrative rights," a ministry official said.

There are over 225,000 illegal immigrants in Korea, over more than half of the total number of foreign workers.


By Song Sang-ho


([email protected])

2007.12.14