Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bassexpander]

'Conditions at detention centers for illegal foreigners are poor'

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/


Conditions and treatment for illegal foreigners at so-called "protection" centers across the country need to be significantly upgraded, the nation's human rights watchdog announced yesterday.

The National Human Rights Commission conducted a survey of 10 state-run facilities, including those in Seoul, Incheon and Busan, between June and November of last year, through on-site inspection, face-to-face interviews, and written inquiries of those held at the centers. Based on its findings, the commission will send its recommendations to the Justice Ministry sometime this week.

Public calls for improving the conditions of unauthorized foreigners at such sites have become more frequent in the wake of the fire in February 2007 at an immigration office in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, which claimed the lives of 10 foreigners.

"We have surveyed human rights conditions at prisons many times before, but this was the first time that we've taken such an in-depth look at the facilities for foreigners," an official with the commission said, declining to be identified.

The commission said in a press release that facilities at immigration offices are not properly ventilated and illuminated, and that people kept at such centers are not given basic freedom of movement. Detainees can use medical facilities and can exercise on playgrounds only with the permission of the authorities.

The commission also found that basic items such as underwear, shampoo and cosmetics are not allowed in from outside, and that security cameras installed in each cell may infringe on the detainees' privacy.

It also noted that the inmates are forced to use Korean only when people visit them. In addition, the commission reported that meals are given, without taking into account the individuals' cultural backgrounds.

The panel is set to recommend to the ministry that the "protection" of those with illegal status be conducted only if absolutely necessary, as such incarceration constrain their fundamental rights.

It also called for a legal apparatus to be set up to protect these individuals' rights - something equivalent to a criminal law - given the fact that "protecting" foreigners at these centers usually has the same effects as arresting them.

When illegal foreigners are apprehended by authorities, the arrested ones temporarily stay at "protection" centers until the necessary procedures for their deportation are carried out. This "protection" period can last longer when there are issues involving unpaid wages, passport problems, or ongoing lawsuits.

By Song Sang-ho

([email protected])

[mark dew]

i spent 8 days in the immigration lock up in mokdong.
Apart from the ones i did a runner from, (they caught me twice cos i did a runner the 1st time) were all pretty friendly and did tell me or my korean ex girlfriend that i should hurry up and get the cash for the flight sorted. Because the main lock up is not a very nice place.
The lock up in the office was basically 2 cells (male and female) about 12 feet by 12 and 1 separate single cell. There was then a communal area that was about 30 feet wide by 15 feet where we all spent the day, then there was a wall with a door or bars with perpex over it which had the office where the immigration officers worked the other side.
An outside caterer used to come in 3 times a day with his wife or someone and pots of food which he setup in the communal area.
There was a bowl of rice, kimchi and that stuff that looks like watered down soup with a leaf in it. Can't remember the name now. There was another small bowl which was meat. Lunch and dinner was the same. Breakfast was ramyon. The food wasn't anything special and after 2 or 3 days was always looking forward to the next meal.
About 6pm every evening the boss would come in and we had to squat on the floor and listen while he chatted away in korean. He wore a suit and there was always another "guard" or whatever in a uniform flanking him. He was a nice bloke but what made me laugh was that he used to hold a cane in his hands while he gave his sermon and continually hit the palm of his other hand while he was talking to us.
It all seemed a bit intimidating the 1st 2 days 'cos i was expecting a slap at the time. But he used to smile alot and i never heard him raise his voice.
He used to spend 5 minutes basically telling us all to be good children. Or so it seemed.The numbers varied when i was in there from 15 to about 30 people. Male and female about the same in number.
I was the only westerner and the rest were from mongolia, china, kazakstan and an african women turned up a couple of days before i flew. She was put in the single cell cos she had aids.
There was also a guy from peru who truned up 3 or 4 days after me. He was one of 3 pickpockets (the only 1 caught) who flew from peru to seoul specifically to to spend time in hotel coffee shops, bars and restaurants while they pickpocketed what they could from unattended handbags for a month then flew back to peru. He only had his blazer, shirt, tie and chinos to wear cos his 2 accomplices had fled their yogwan after they saw him get arrested.
On the day i flew i was taken in handcuffs from there to the immigration office in kimpo. I had to wait until everyone had boarded before they escorted me to passport control, then said good bye. The funny thing was they wanted my ex to pick me up and drive me to the airport. Which i wanted too, but unfortunately i was her ex and she didn't want to.
This was around 10th january 2000. I was't fined cos it was amnesty month fortunately. My ex also managed to collect every won i had earnt upto the time i had been caught. No-one ripped me although i did just stop coming to several classes cos i'd been busted.
Anyway, sorry to ramble.

[Cheonmunka]

Thnx for story.
Are immigration violation cells seperate from other types of activity cells? Or is this the place where all foreigners go to irrespective of the things they did?

[Suwoner10]

[Dome Vans]

Wow! Illegal immigrants being caught and kept in cells because they've broken the law. Regardless of whether they steal or have over-run their visa and can't afford to leave the country they are law breakers. Of course countries don't want to spend time and money housing this lot comfortably.

Seems Mark Dew paints a good picture. But what can be done you're in a foreign country, no visa and no money to leave, who should get special treatment? Why should they speak English, why not have a Kazakstany speaker or a mongolian speaker just to balance things out. It's not an airport information desk.

BE, you gonna need to try and think outside the box and the fact this happens everywhere. I'm sure places like Thailand would deal with such people more harshly there human rights are far worse in these situations. Hell, try being illegal in England and America, the conditions there are worse if caught.

[mark dew]

if you are asking me, i only saw this one lock up. It was on the 5th floor i think.
The people there were all on visa violations, although the peruvian had committed a criminal offence. I assumed he was there to be deported.
I thought mokdong was where they held you until they had finished interviewing you, then you were sent to the main immigration jail.
I was told i would be sent there within a week but my ex had raised my cash and got me a flight after about 4 days i think so they let me stay.
I think but don't know that it is just visa violations and there would be a criminal prison after a court appearance.

[mindmetoo]

[mark dew]

[Juregen]

[Lekker]

When I lived in Philly, my brother and I were walking down the street one day. He was walking with his bicycle. We saw an asian woman with a purse walking in our direction on the sidewalk. From out of NOWHERE, a guy runs past us, towards her, and nicks her purse and runs. The woman looked at us and my brother jumped on his bike and rode the guy down at the end of the block. It was hillarious. The guy was a crackhead. My brother did a wheelie right into the guys back and landed him down on the side walk.

"I sarry, I sarry, don't hurt me," he yelled. I sarry," It was hillarious.

He left the guy on the sidewalk and rode back to the woman. "Thhhank yoooooo, thank yooooo," she yelled.

It was just like in the movies. The crackhead at the end of the block got up and ran off to go nick someone else's purse. That was a funny day.

[mark dew]

i should also add it was a good thing really. I arrived in korea october 95 and got caught early mid jan 2000 and i had been in india for 10 months before that.
I had enjoyed teaching for 3 years and got off on it but the last year or so i had become really jaded and was cynical towards the whole thing. It was for money only now and i got very little pleasure out of meeting new koreans compared to before.
I'd had a wonderful korean girlfriend for 3 years but had broken up 6 months before and i was basically a p r i c k. I was jaded and not the compassionate person i once was and although i was never nasty became quite indifferent towards anyone elses feelings. The trouble was i'd been away from home too long without going back to visit and had many good friends but none who knew me for who i really was. Only the impression (falsely at times i'm ashamed to say) i wanted to give.
I'd become selfish really but didn't know that coming home was the answer. I'd left the uk 5 years before ona 1way ticket to india with $650 in my pocket and i returned 5 years later wiht $400. I thought i was the bees knees and knew everything. Coming home has been good for the soul. Apart from a week in pamplona in 2000 i haven't left these shores since.
It took me 4 years to really get over coming back to what seemed a mundane life. But now i love it. I'm happier than i've been in years and put 6 years of asia into perspective now.
I come on here now for nostalgia. I salute all of you who are in korea to teach as it is an emotionally draining job if you put the effort into helping people improve.
It was all too much for me in the end but i never saw the writing was on the wall. So getting caught teaching and deported wasn't a negative but a huge positive for me. It just took me a while to realise.

[Scotticus]

Mark, I hope you're just a troll. Assuming your stories are true, though... you're truly a winner in my book.

[bassexpander]

[mark dew]

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

I'm trying to find something in the IOM database as per the rights of detained migrants, but can find nothing dealing specifically with Korea. I know from their list of projects that the only current one working deals with Koreans trafficked to Japan. That's curious when you think about the major problems for Korea in the area would be migrant workers predominantly from SE and South Asia and Chinese Koreans.

Edit.
http://www.iom.int/jahia/webdav/site/myjahiasite/shared/shared/mainsite/events/docs/seoul/seoul.pdf

A training course for government officials in 2006 includes the topic of irregular migration, which would cover some aspects of detention, I believe.

I would love to be present for the integration of migrants workshop as you can imagine the ideas that would have come up there. (sucking through teeth sound), "lets all wear hanboks and make the kimchi together!"