Cases of Migrant Workers Inflicted by Recent Crackdowns

Cases of Migrant Workers Inflicted
by Recent Crackdowns

Collected and prepared by the Migrants’ Trade Union (MTU)

Case I
Sharon, a Filipina and pregnant for 8 months, was relaxing in her place when there was a sudden knocking from outside. Upon opening the door, she found a guy with black gloves. Showing his ID, he told her he was from the Immigration. He asked for her passport. Although she told him that she was pregnant, he arrested her only after checking the duration of her pregnancy. The next day the Immigration took Sharon to a hospital, where the doctor said it is not advisible to send her back to the Philippines. Her husband Randy also got arrested in one of the following days. Both of them got released after a series of press conferences organized by the JCMK and the Joint Action for the Abolition of Discrimination Against Migrants.

Case II
In the mass crackdown occurred in Maseok on April 16, a Bangladeshi worker fell off from the third floor of his factory. He had four fractures in bone around legs and waist. According to the witnesses, the Immigration employees arrested migrants without showing their IDs. Also, they used vehicles without the mark of the Ministry of Justice. They received protests for not paying attention to the injured. The Bangladeshi worker was hospitalized for a few months after an operation. The Seoul Immigration paid only part of the hospital expenses.

Case III
On May 15 in Daegu, P from Vietnam got arrested for not wearing a helmet for motorcycles. In the process he had a serious injury on his ankle. But the police simply put him in custody and was going to send him to the Immigration without any medical treatment. With the protest from the NGO activists, he was sent to a hospital.

Case IV
On June 5, the Vietnamese worker N got arrested in Anam, Seoul. He was living with his wife who was expected to give birth on the following June 30. After he got arrested, his wife was left alone and finally became ill with no one to take care of her. N repeatedly asked the Seoul Immigration for a temporary release but in vain. Even, someone at the Immigration would tell him a story of two pregnant women who got deported only 15 days before the delivery date. In the end, N got deported with his wife left alone in Korea.

Case V
On June 13, responding to a 112 call, the police arrested Park, a female migrant worker from China. For Ms. Park had an industrial injury on her hand, NGO activists in Daegu area protested against the forcible detainment. Even with the proof of hospital documents about her sickness, the police sent her to the Immigration and put her in custody there for three days. Afterwards, with continuous protests from NGOs in Daegu, she was able to be released.

Case VI
S from Bangladesh was under custody last February in the Euijeongbu Immigration Office. For being the only guardian for his wife who was pregnant, he could receive a temporary release from the detainment. At that time, his wife was carrying twins and was diagnosed of a highly risky pregnancy. Nevertheless, the Euijongbu office pressed S for early departure arguing it is difficult to extend the temporary release. Only three days after the sudden visit of an Immigration employee, S’s wife had miscarriage while suffering from a great anxiety.

Case VII
N from Bangladesh broke his ankle while escaping from the police, who entered his work place in Gwangju, Kyonggido on September 18. The Immigration employee ignored his injury and brought him with his hands in handcuffs. With N’s continuous complaints for his pain, the Immigration employees abandoned him on the road near Gonjiam. N managed to take a taxi and was brought to a hospital with the assistance from his Korean colleague. He was prescribed for a month of treatment and a surgical operation within a year. But, the Immigration, who is in charge of his injury, is refusing to pay for his hospital fees.

Case VIII
On May 2, the MTU chairperson Torna Limbu and the vice-chairperson Abdus Sobur got arrested at the same time in two different places. 10 Immigration employees attacked Limbu who was going out to the Candlelight Rally. Around the same time, Sobur was arrested in his own house located in Seongsoo. While it was apparent that the Immigration has been targeting at them as the leaders of MTU, the Ministry of Justice claimed it was not out of any deliberate plan. Despite a series of criticisms and protests by activists and an advice from the National Commision for Human Rights not to deport them until a due investigation is finished, the Ministry of Justice decided for an immediate deportation. Only within this year, more than ten members of MTU got kicked out of the country. Most of them got arrested in their workplaces.

Case VIIII
On October 24, the Euijeongbu Immigration cracked down on a Filipina and her 14 month old baby. Also, the same day, another Filipina who has a little child was arrested. Within a few days, the Immigration deported both the mother and her child to the Philippines.

Case XLeti, a Filipina migrant, was in the 8th month’s pregnancy when she got arrested by the Immigration. Afterwards, she received a temporary release, but her husband got arrested. Right after she complained for this in the press conference held by the Joint Action for the Abolition of Discrimination Against Migrants, Leti again got arrested by the Immigration