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National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK)

South Korean National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) chairperson Lee Sung-ho issued a statement on June 1 urging the government to improve poor human rights conditions for Yemeni refugee applicants on Jeju Island.

According to Jeju’s local immigration office, Yemeni nationals accounted for 479 of 869 international residents who applied for refugee status on the island between January and May 24 of this year. Many of the applicants were reportedly whole families including small children.

The reason for the increase in Yemeni refugees stems from civil war. Some 190,000 residents have left Yemen amid a civil war that has been taking place since Mar. 2015.

“Twenty million Yemenis, or 70 percent of the population, are unable to eat because of the civil war,” Lee said.

Yemeni refugees are currently arriving on Jeju Island through a no-visa immigration system. Foreign tourists are allowed to visit Jeju Island without a visit according to the Special Act on the Establishment of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and the Development of Free International City enacted in 2001.

In cases where a visa is needed for entry, a review of refugee application qualifications is conducted at the airport. Refugees are required to stay at the airport until the results of the review are issued. But because of Jeju’s no-visa system, refugees have little difficulty entering and being approved as refugee applicants. Individuals who have applied for refugee status are guaranteed the right to move freely and are entitled to work from six months after application. The state is also required to provide various forms of support.

But the Justice Ministry is currently blocking the Yemeni refugees from leaving Jeju Island – and has made the decision to stop no-visa entries by Yemeni refugees outright as of June 1.

“The Justice Ministry is confining refugees to Jeju Island without any appropriate measures in place,” said Kim Seong-in, who heads the Refugee Network’s Jeju countermeasures committee.

“This has caused inconveniences for refugees and Jeju residents alike and urgently demands action from the central government,” Kim added.

Severe shortages of refugee support facilities and review personnel are also issues. The Jeju immigration office originally had just one refugee eligibility reviewer; another was added only recently. Without additional staffing, the refugee recognition review process tends to take a long time. Refugees themselves are forced to continue living with the fear that they might be deported at any time. The office is also reportedly recruiting Arabic-speaking interpreters from other regions due to a lack of interpreting staff.

“Because of the lack of a refugee support system on Jeju Island, refugees are waiting forever for their refugee status reviews,” said Lee Sung-ho.

“With [refugees] having difficulty even meeting their basic residential or livelihood needs, they receive no guarantees of basic rights such as healthcare and the ability to educate their children,” he added.

Lee also said the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and Refugee Act assign the South Korean government the responsibility to participate in international protections to guarantee refugees’ basic rights.

“[The South Korean government] needs to reduce the wait times for refugee applicants of uncertain status by hiring additional staff for swift refugee reviews as an emergency measure, and we need pan-governmental measures such as livelihood and residential support while the refugee reviews are going on,” he said.

Explaining the background behind the statement, an NHRCK official said, “The NHRCK chairperson decided to make a statement himself due to the need for human rights protections as quickly as possible for Yemeni refugees staying on Jeju Island.”

By Im Jae-woo, staff reporter

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