CINA

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Two days ago(10.16) MTU(Migrants' Trade Union) released following:

Another Migrant Activist Arrested in South Korea!

        On October 8 the South Korea Immigration Authorities arrested Minod Moktan, a well-known cultural activists who has fought tirelessly for the human rights of migrants in South Korea. His arrest is the latest incident in series of targeted crackdowns against migrant activists, a pattern of repression that has drawn international condemnation. We urge you to show your solidarity by faxing a message of protest to the South Korean Ministry of Justice making the following demands:

•        Free Minod Moktan!
•        Stop the crackdown against undocumented migrant workers!
•        Stop the targeted repression against migrant activists!

I. Background of the Arrest
         At 10:00am in the morning on October 8, Minod Moktan (38, Nepal) was arrested by immigration officers in front of the office of Migrant Workers Television (MWTV), where works as the Director of the Film Production Team. He is currently imprisoned south of Seoul at Hwaesong Detention Center and could be deported at any moment.
Although Immigration Authorities claim Minod was arrested in the course of a normal raid, the manner in which the arrest was carried out shows this is clearly not the case. The immigration officers had been waiting in hiding in front of the MWTV office demonstrating that the arrest was pre-planned. Moreover, normal immigration raids are made at factories or residential areas where migrant workers are congregated, making the location of the arrest—the office where Minod does his cultural and human rights work—highly conspicuous. It is all too clear that the arrest was made in an attempt to stop Minod’s activities in defense of the human rights of migrants. What is worse, Minod’s arrest must be seen as a declaration on the part of the Lee Myeong-bak administration that it plans to go after all migrant activists fighting for migrants’ human rights in South Korea.

II. Minod’s Work as a Cultural Human Rights Activist
        Minod came to South Korea in 1992 and worked for several years as a manual laborer. During this time he experienced personally the oppression and discrimination migrant workers face at the hands of the government, employers and Korean society at large. He became convinced that cultural work and cross-culture exchange were necessary for addressing these problems.
        In 2003, during a historic sit-down protest against the crackdown on undocumented migrant workers, Minod founded the first multicultural migrants’ band in South Korea—“Stop Crackdown Band.” In 2005 Minod also helped to found MWTV, a television station that provides a ‘voice’ to migrants through which to speak about their lives and experiences. He has served as MWTV’ Co-Representative and Director of its Film Production Team. He has also produced two documentaries that look at the lives of migrant workers in South Korea. All of Minod’s cultural activities have been carried out with the goal of raising awareness about the discrimination and human rights abuses faced by migrants in South Korea and creating cross-cultural dialogue as a means to address these problems. His work is of infinite important to the movement for migrants’ rights and South Korean society as a whole.

III. Concentrated Crackdown against Undocumented Migrant Workers
        Minod’s arrest comes just as the government has declared a concentrated crackdown against undocumented migrant workers, which is scheduled to continue from October to December 20009. In the past, countless migrant workers have been injured and killed in the course of such crackdowns, during which immigration officers conduct surprise raids on factories and residences, breaking down doors and windows and dragging people out. One of the most shocking incidents occurred last November, when police blocked of the entrances and exits to an industrial complex in Maseok and immigration officers ransacked the factories and houses inside. 130 people were arrested and 10 hospitalized for injuries. 
        Far from thinking about their human rights, the right-wing administration Lee Myeong-bak has declared an all-out war on undocumented migrants. In the first half of 2009 alone the government has deported 17 thousand people; 32 thousand were deported in 2008. This is roughly twice the number of people deported during the entire term of the previous administration, which was by no means friendly towards migrants.
Like other migrants’ rights activists, Minod recognized the brutal nature of the crackdown, strongly condemned it and called on the government to implement a more just and humane policy, including a program of legalization program. 
       
IV. Pattern of Targeted Crackdown against Migrant Activists
        Minod’s arrest is not the first of its kind, but rather the latest incident in a series of targeted crackdowns against migrant activists in South Korea. Since 2002, immigration officers have used the cover of their authority to arrest undocumented migrants to target those involved in work to defend human and labor rights. The international community will remember when the government arrested and deported the president, vice president and general secretary of the Migrants Trade Union (MTU), a union founded for and by migrants, at the end of 2007 and then did the same thing to the newly elected president and vice president in May 2008. These arrests were carried out in the same manner as Minod’s, with immigration officers waiting in hiding in front of homes and workplaces in order to ambush the activists.
        This pattern of target crackdown has become so obvious that it has induced intervention on the parts of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants and the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association. It has also been widely condemned by human rights and labor organizations around the world.

Not only do we need your help to free Minod, if we do not make a strong show of force now, the government will take it as license to continue targeting migrant activists and persist in its crackdown against undocumented migrants. Please show you rage at the government and support for our struggle by sending a protest message to the fax numbers given below.

Your solidarity is more important now than ever!

A sample protest letter and adresses for your protest you'll find here.

Related article:
☞ Well-known 'illegal' Nepali immigrant faces deportation (Republica, 10.17)

☞ Voices raised against target crackdown.. (Hankyoreh, 10.16)

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Yesterday in front of Seoul's Immigration Office in Mok-dong: during a press conference representatives of more than 20 (political, labour, civic & solidarity)organizations and groups, such as MWTV, KCTU, MTU, DLP etc., informed about Minod 'Minu' Moktan's (a Nepalese migrant worker, media activist and anchorman of MWTV, arrested last Thursday by immigration officers in Seoul) current situation and demanded his immediate release from Hwaseong Detention Center.

Related reports:

☞ 이주노동자 문화활동가 미누 석방을 촉구하는 기자회견 열려 (MWTV, 10.14)
☞ "미누에게 자유를..." (MTU, 10.15)

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Produced by: MWTV(10.12)

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Now this year's wave of CRACKDOWN TERROR against (undocumented) migrant workers got its first (more or less) prominent victim: comrade Minod 'Minu' Moktan

 
Last Thursday(10.8) morning Minu - almost 17 years ago he came from Nepal to S. Korea as a migrant worker - was arrested near his work place (MWTV office) in Seoul. Currently he's imprisoned in the Hwaseong Detention Center (about 70 km south of Seoul).

According to his friends and co-workers his arrest may be pre-planned by the Immigration Office/MoJ because of his repeated public criticism - as an MWTV activist and its anchorman - of the S.K. gov't, particularly its immigration (or rather deportation) policy.

In 2003/4 he also paticipated in the migrant workers resistance movement against the then wave of crackdown/deportation.

Since that time he's also the lead singer of the famous Stop Crackdown Band:

MTU's statement on Minu's arrest you can read here:
☞ 이주노동자 문화 활동가 미누를 석방하라!

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Yesterday(10.8), in protest to this year's wave of crackdown on migrant workers, MTU together with several other political, workers' and civic organisations held a press conference in front of Seoul's main Immigration Office in Mok-dong.

Here you can read what MTU's representative had to say:

I am an EPS worker form the Philippines. I am an MTU member. I am here on this occasion to express our deep sentiments on this deeply saddening situation of migrant workers especially now. I have stayed in Korea for more than three years. And for the three years that I have stayed here, I am filled with deep sadness, fear, insecurity and low self worth.

I have always thought that coming to Korea would be a means to provide for a better life for me and my family, the best opportunity for me to help my country, an opportunity for me to gain new skills, a family in the form of our employers and co-workers, a well of hope that good things will come if I worked hard enough and dedicated enough.

Instead in my entire stay in Korea I have experienced so many things that were far from my expectations. Employers tell us that they are treating us like family while working non-stop ‘til we can no longer afford to keep awake and alert while operating dangerous machines. A Filipino worker in Jeongnam died in his sleep inside his factory. We can only assume that is it because of overworking, working from 7:30pm to 2:00pm the next day every single day. He did not get his salary, no insurance, no benefits, nothing. His mother had to borrow money to send his body back home.

Despite of our sacrifices, despite of our hard work the media portrays us foreigners, us migrant workers as dangerous criminals, “dangerous Asians” as they call us. They pollute the media with their propaganda and sensationalist news. Now I realized that in Korea, traffic violations are a serious crime for migrant workers and they deserve to be reported to the public like the child-rapist who got 12 years of prison term. Is this what you call balanced news??! What about the gangster groups of migrant workers? They could do not even provide details or prove the existence of these groups. They base their reports on police speculations only. Without hard evidence these reports should be filed in the fiction story section.

I have also experienced the harsh treatment of the immigration in doing their crackdown. Despite of its unconstitutionality the government is still intensively and violently conducting the crackdown. The immigration is breaking in the migrants’ residences and factories, physically assaulting migrant workers and conniving with sajangnim (factory owner) so that they can avoid paying fines while they deport the people who have sacrificed more that their time and energy working in Korea. Our friends who have filed money claims with the Nodongbu found themselves arrested by the immigration because they refused to sign the waiver that would free the sajangnim from any obligation to them. He hated having to pay their benefits so he gave out the list of the undocumented workers to the immigration and told the immigration where these workers live. The sajangnim was very cunning. He did this so that the workers will not be caught in his factory so he can avoid paying both the fine and the benefits. These workers are treated no better than disposable cups. I urge everyone, help us stop this inhumanity.

Stop the criminalization of migrant workers!
Stop discrimination of migrant workers!
Stop Crackdown!

Already last week(10.1) MTU published following press release:
☞ The Human-hunting Crackdown Against Migrant Workers

Related articles:
☞ "Gov't Must Change Illegal Arrests on Migrants" (saladTV, 10.8)

☞ 법무부, 이주노동자 사지로 내몰 집중단속 예고 (민주노총, 10.8)

☞ 이주노동자 집중 단속에 ‘지킴이’ 발족 (참세상, 10.8)

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Crackdown Terror on Migrant Workers Extended!

Two days ago(10.4) the S.K. Ministry of 'Justice'(MoJ) announced its decision to extend this year's wave of crackdown on (udocumented) migrant workers - originally planned for October/November - until (at least) December. "The workers who will be targeted are the 310,000 individuals whose visa is set to expire during the second half of this year", a spokesman for MoJ said.

In addition, the MoJ said that it had launched a campaign in September to 'encourage' 'voluntary' exits for migrant workers who have overstayed their visa, but ultimately it failed and only few migrant workers 'voluntarily' left the country.

Related stuff in the S.K. bourgeois press:
☞ Korea extends crackdown on illegal foreign residents by 2 months (K. Herald)

☞ Over-stayer crackdown to be extended (JoongAng Ilbo) 

☞ Crackdown on Illegal Foreigners Extended to December (K. Times)

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Almost 20 days ago the Korea Immigration Service(KIS, a part of the Ministry of "Justice")  - better known as "S. Korean Agency for Crackdown and Mass Deportation" - announced that this year's wave of crackdown on un-documented migrant workers will take place from beginning of October until (at least) the end of November. But in reality the Crackdown Terror is already under way!

 
Additionally KIS announced - for the first time officially - that this year's crackdown will be joined by regional (riot)police forces and other related agencies to arrest and deport "as many illegal immigrants as possible"(!!!), according to the following article, published in yesterday's Korea Times:

Random Checks for Illegal Aliens Upset Foreigners 
 

The Korea Immigration Service's crackdown on illegal immigrants this year has been met with controversy due to allegations its officers are making random checks on those who look like foreign workers.

Members of the legally residing foreign community are also upset at the failure to stick to a legal set of procedures.

"Immigration officials make raids on the street," said a foreign scholar in Seoul who spoke on condition of anonymity.

She said three Nepalese foreigners were grabbed on their way to get a haircut recently, while a pregnant woman was taken outside of the city last week. Others are caught during routine shopping errands, she said.

"The intense crackdown was to start from November, but it's been very terrible since September," the scholar said.

KIS spokesman Ahn Kyu-suk neither denied nor confirmed these allegations in an e-mail interview with The Korea Times, but simply cited the legal procedures.

Ahn said the Immigration Law dictates that "if foreigners residing here always carry a copy of their passport and alien registration card, the concerned shall satisfy the requirements of immigration and passport officials."

"Therefore, suspected foreigners in these circumstances must show their identification" during on-the-spot checks, the spokesman added.

"Enforcement will start in October or November," Ahn said, denying that the crackdown has begun without public notice.

This year the office will join with regional police forces and other related agencies to help find as many illegal immigrants as possible, he said.

"The system doesn't work properly and foreign workers are suffering," the anonymous scholar said.

She added that the illegal foreigners are given no time before being sent back to their native countries, which was refuted by the spokesman.

"To actually investigate violation of law, the signature of the person is received in a written format, followed by a deportation order and then deportation," Ahn said. "It can take anywhere from two to three days, to one to two months."

This excludes the case of an Iranian national known locally as Peter Talebi, who it is claimed was deported from South Korea in July with no time to gather his belongings.

The scholar, however, said that the government was also lacking in efforts to enforce the rule equally to foreigners and give aid where needed.

The problem lies in that the system is broken and immigrants are often left with nowhere to turn, the scholar said.

Under the Lee Myung-bak administration, crackdowns on illegal aliens has intensified. Under the previous liberal administrations, foreigners overstaying their visas were allowed to live here as long as they didn't violate laws(*), the scholar said.

"They want to control foreigners in Korea," she said. "Natives have more rights, while foreigners have fewer rights because they are foreigners."

The KIS said the number of illegal immigrants in South Korea was 185,000.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/09/117_52277.html



* That's of course complete bullshit! Just remember the massive wave of Crackdown Terror against un-documented migrant workers in general and resisting migrant workers in particular between Nov. 2003 and Dec. 2004 (under the Roh Moo-hyun administration)!!

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He’s a Migrant Worker, Working for Migrant Rights
By Greg Moses (Summer 2004)

  
XXX is a migrant worker who stands in the sun by day and sleeps in a tent by night. Unlike other migrant workers, however, XXX’s job is to protest for migrant rights. During the day he protests outdoors.

“I stand outside the National Assembly all day and my brain is cooked, it’s really torture,” says XXX speaking by telephone from his union office. “The temperature is 35 degrees (95 Fahrenheit), and there is no shelter, none at all...”

After dark, XXX goes to his office at the Equality Trade Union (ETU) Migrants Branch, and works the internet, posting struggle reports and digital pictures.

As far as XXX knows, there is not another “national” union of migrant workers anywhere else in the world, which would make him a unique international secretary.

There are groups that agitate for migrant rights. But XXX says those groups are usually backed by NGOs or churches. Migrant unions are quite rare. And among migrant unions, he knows of none other that is a national union for all kinds of labor.

Although XXX is a ... citizen, he has worked full time in Korea for the past 15 months. His union, the ETU Migrants Branch, is part of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the younger of the two trade union federations in Korea.

Lately, the financial press in Asia and elsewhere has been paying attention to Korean strikes, because the Korean labor calendar calls for annual contracts, and annual contracts call for annual strikes. XXX’s union, too, is leading a strike this year.

Strikers of the Myeong-dong Sit-in Struggle Collective (MSSC) recently celebrated day 250. They live in three large tents that have been pitched in the heart of Seoul at Myeong-dong, the Korean equivalent of Times Square. Eight months ago, there were 80 strikers. Today the number stands at 30 to 40, “so there is ample room in the tents,” says XXX. “The tents are our temporary homes. We live there except when we go out for demonstrations or organizing people.”

Although some labor reforms for migrant workers have been enacted by the Korean National Assembly, XXX’s union is not satisfied with the progress: “We want legislation that will give us labor rights, work visas, and the right to choose our work place. Also we want all migrant workers released from detention centers. They recently arrested 2,000.” These are the issues he works for.

“To be realistic,” says XXX, “in the situation we are in now, we will not get what we want. The activists are not many. Migrant workers in Korea once numbered about 130,000, then there was a crackdown and about 10,000 left, but the number is back up to 160,000. The crackdown completely failed. The government thought they could treat people with a massive crackdown and they would leave the country, but they didn’t. They are only in hiding, waiting for better times.”

Migrant workers in Korea come from all over. “Many come from China. Also Vietnam, Mongolia, Philippines, Bangladesh (Pakistan), Nigeria, Ghana,” and of course, xxx. They work in small factories, construction sites, and other “3-D” jobs that are dirty, dangerous, and difficult. And they work six days a week, Monday through Saturday.

Korean workers as a whole only recently won the right to a five-day work week. That is one reason why this season’s strikes have been more numerous. The subway strike is partly about the number of new people that have to be hired so that all workers can have two days off. Auto workers also are striking for higher pay because they’d like to work less overtime.

As XXX sees it, Korean unionists are still fighting to catch up with the rights and freedoms that belong to workers in other places, such as Germany. “The ruling class can use pictures to make us look very militant. But the workers are striking for very ordinary things. Like the 40 hour work week. Europeans already have that and productivity of Korean workers is the same as Europeans. Here they have the right to fight for that.”

When workers have to work more than 40 hours per week, they miss out on life, children, spouses, and friends. A report about Asian and Pacific Islanders (API) in California could have been written about Korean migrant workers, too:

    “Due to mandatory work hours or the need to work many jobs to survive, many API workers work extremely long hours,” reads a report from the AFL-CIO Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance and UCLA Labor Center. “This translates to less time with family and for supervising children. Studies have shown that poverty and lack of parental supervision lead to domestic violence, poor school performance, increased likelihood of children joining gangs, and therefore limitations on their future prospects. Low-wage workers live from check to check, and often need to change jobs, further adding to family instability. Yet, they are often trapped in low wage work because they do not have time to learn English or other work skills. Many workers need to rely on public funding for health, welfare, and retirement.”

In California, migrant workers face discrimination. “It’s the same in Korea,” says XXX, “especially when workers are new in the country. But now many speak Korean very well, they know Korean culture, and when they are organized in the union, even they went on strike for better work conditions.”

XXX explains that a recent strike by subway workers, “was just settled for 3 percent. Not much. I remember pilots in Germany striking for 30 percent and getting 25. Here the people are really fighting. They make a big thing of it, but it’s not really a big thing. A general strike, for instance, will include 2,000 to 3,000 people.”

Just before leaving xxx, XXX has been working in homeless shelters. He see that in xxx there is more help for the homeless. “Here the social system is very under-developed. Here the poor really completely have nothing, nothing.” If the state services for homeless people differ from place to place, XXX says the reasons for homelessness remain the same. Older, cheaper housing is gradually replaced with newer and more expensive. Says XXX, “in Korea we are in solidarity with people who want to protect their homes.”

“Other reasons to get homeless are the same in Korea and xxx, especially for middle aged men,” he says. “It’s a civilization problem. When they destroy homes, people want to be compensated or given a new flat, which means that they are fighting, even with Molotov cocktails.”

I wonder how many Chinese workers in Korea fled impending homelessness? As new business moves into China, old workers move out. “Yes, businesses are moving to China,” says XXX. “But those are the large ones with big factories. The small businesses cannot move to China. Still, they need cheap labor, so the Chinese workers come here. They come from the countryside, mainly from the Northeast and the former industrial zones, where the government used to run big factories. But day by day those factories are closing. The majority of our migrant workers come from those inner migrations in China.”

Organizing Chinese workers is not easy. “The Chinese are very interested (of course we too). I have delivered leaflets to them in Chinese, but because the trade union in China is a part of government (state run, no independent trade unions exist there) if you really organize there you find yourself very fast in prison.”

In Korea, as everywhere, unionists keep one eye on the police. As the tent strike was being organized, XXX still kept a place to live at the outskirts of Seoul. But he gave up his dwelling place on the advice of fellow unionists who warned him that if he traveled such a distance from home to work every day, as a striking unionist, he would probably be intercepted by police.

It is now past midnight Korea time. I tell XXX that I hope he gets some sleep. “I should make rest for several days, but it is impossible,” he replies. “Then when I run out of work, there is no place to fall asleep.”

http://gregmoses.net/2004/07/23/hes-a-migrant-worker

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MTU's contribution to the "Forum on Gender/Racial Discrimination in S.Korea" , held last month(8.26) in Seoul:

A brief overview on the discrimination of migrant workers

1. The incident that happened in Bucheon last July(*) was not an isolated case of
misunderstanding between a foreigner and a local. In fact, migrant workers have
often been on the receiving end of verbal assaults, racial slurs, and even violence
on a daily basis.
This incident caused quite a stir in the community both foreign and local and has
even attracted the attention of local and foreign media. It has been given an adequate amount of coverage. Professor Banajit Hussain because of his South Asian ethnicity, being dark-skinned, he was mistaken for a migrant worker not only by theperpetrator but even by the police as well.
The incident involving the professor and his companion achieved one thing in
particular, and that is to expose the day to day challenges of the migrant worker. The migrant workers come from different corners of the globe, having varied race and ethnicity, having different religious and cultural backgrounds and about one third of the migrant population are women. The migrant workers are always regarded as poor, un.educated, and vulnerable and thus, it is an undeniable fact that one hundred percent of the migrant workers have fallen victim to racial and sexual discrimination at some point in their lives.
The incident of racial discrimination against Professor Hussain is nothing compared to what we, as migrant workers face in our daily lives. Professor Hussain's case was given attention because of the fact that his standing or class in the Korean society is perceived to be of higher importance and thus, require much clamor.
The fact of the matter is, migrant workers have been suffering from racial and sexual discrimination even before they have laid foot on Korean soil.

2. The discrimination under the EPS Law:
Although migrant workers are better off under the current EPS law in comparison to the trainee system, the migrant workers continue to suffer under the new system as they had suffered under the old. Despite claims of equal labor rights for migrant workers, the EPS Law has failed to secure the migrants position in society in terms of job security. It has also failed to protect them from abuse and unequal treatment because of their race, ethnicity and social standing in the society. The EPS Law aims to ensure the stability of the labor force for the company through restrictions such as the limitation on workplace changes, the time limit on which a worker would need to find a new company, the allowable reasons for which a migrant worker can ask for termination of contract, the restriction on migrant workers eligibility to invite their family members and the restriction on the migrant workers eligibility to apply for citizenship. There are also restrictions that limit the involvement of migrants in activities that may be deemed as political in nature.
These restrictions only show that migrant workers because of their social standing are treated as disposable and temporary. This considerably reflects the racial and social discrimination against migrant workers who are comparably likened to machines or beasts of burden.
Even before the migrant worker comes to Korea, it is mandatory for an applicant to undergo pregnancy tests (women) and AIDS test (both men and women) as a
requirement for qualification to work in this country. In more progressive nations,
these mandatory tests are considered sexual discrimination on the assumption that pregnant women can never be productive and are a burden to the host country.
Labeling AIDS victims are a threat to society and disregarding their rights to privacy is also sexually discriminatory. Being minorities, their social and human rights are often negated by the provision of restrictions and conditions for employment.

The Crackdown on undocumented migrant workers and their criminalization is the
most evident example of racial discrimination. This marginalized group in society
has suffered numerous deaths, injuries, abuse, violence, financial ruin and extreme psychological stress.
Aside from the crackdown being unconstitutional under the Korean law, it also
shows blatant disregard of the migrant workers human rights.

3. Undocumented workers having less protection from abuse, suffer as much as the EPS workers, if not more so. Although, they are not subjected to the restrictions of the EPS Law, undocumented migrant workers have less mobility.
Because undocumented migrant workers are criminalized in Korea the government agencies offer no protection to migrant workers against verbal, sexual and physical abuse. Undocumented migrant workers who have tried to seek for police intervention/support, or have tried to report incidences of violence against their person would find themselves arrested and detained by the immigration instead of being given justice for the transgression that they have fallen victim to.

Migrant workers in the workplace:
Accommodations for workers are usually within the company premises to assure
that there will be readily available workers on hand to meet production
requirements and quotas. Typically, these dwellings do not meet the standards to
assure that it is well suited to protect their health and comfort. Container boxes
measuring an average of 9sqm would typically house two or three persons. These boxes usually are not well ventilated during the summer and insufficiently heated during the cold months. There is also a problem with cleanliness, insect and vermin infestation, filthy toilets, inconsiderate managers and noisy co.workers that holds no regard whatsoever to the people who have worked the opposite shift and are resting during the day.
Incidences of migrant workers having finished working 13 hour shifts would be
allowed to sleep for 2 or three hours before they will be forced to work overtime.
Threats such as dismissal and deportation have always been common, there have also been numerous incidences of physical violence and verbal abuse, pay.cuts have also been reported. Thus, under these threats, migrant workers are forced to render service at the expense of their health and safety.
Social imbalance is also evident in the workplace among native workers and
migrants. The managers and/or the native workers would slap, swear at, and punch migrant workers in jest but the managers/native workers would consider it
confrontational if the migrant worker initiated the same act.
The native worker may refuse to render overtime, he or she may even refuse to do a delegated task but the migrant worker would often be forced to accept these additional workload and should never refuse.

4. Citing these examples, the sub-human treatment of migrant workers, their disregard for their health and safety, their obvious disregard for the rights of the workers are evidence that racial discrimination is a part of the migrant workers life. Since they have “imported” them as workers, the utilization of their services should be maximized.
Religious and cultural differences are also areas of concern in the life of a migrant worker. An aversion to a particular type of food or certain religious practices has also been a source of conflict and/or abuse. Forcing migrant workers to go against their culture and religious beliefs are factors that cause undue stress and resentment on the side of the migrant workers.
Gender-based discrimination on migrant workers in the work place is also common. Age and marital status being factors, the migrant workers personal life seems to be an extension of his work relations. Managers and native workers would give unsolicited advices regarding different personal issues like sexual preferences, marriage to Koreans (women migrants) and gays or lesbians being non.existent in Korea. Under the guise of extended family relationship existing between migrants and Koreans these unsolicited advices are also discriminatory in nature. Under the assumption that migrants are not capable of making the right decision and choices, they (Koreans) feel it is necessary to give them (migrants) guidance regarding these issues.
Migrant women also being objectified in and out of the workplace are usually prone to unwelcome sexual advances. Their regard for migrant women as more sexually active and aggressive than Korean women is a blatant form of discrimination against women. Sexual harassment and violence are also common in the workplace but  migrant women fail to report these incidences out of shame and fear of losing their legal status and job security.

5. Discrimination outside of the workplace:
Discrimination outside of the workplace is varied in intensity. Subtle actions such as unwanted stares, their aversion to sit beside a migrant worker and direct insult as what the good professor has been subjected to.
Their aversion to migrant workers is rooted on the fact that since migrant workers
are laborers they immediately assume that migrant workers are un-educated, of low intelligence, lacked sophistication, dirty, stinky, rude and loud.
A poor command of the Korean language has also been a means for Korean vultures to take advantage of the migrant workers inability to argue. Migrant workers are usually taken advantage of by unscrupulous taxi drivers by overcharging, taking long routes and harassing women migrant workers.
The discrimination against migrant workers are not exclusive to Koreans it is also
evident among foreign expats who are living in Korea. These expats’ reference to
migrant workers as "smelly, dirty and rude migrant workers" and "these things"
shows that even educated foreigners, assumingly exposed to diversity and had a
higher degree of education would see and refer to migrant workers as sub-human or not human at all.

6. Conclusion
Racism and xenophobia is largely apparent in Korea and in the Korean psyche. Even their laws, under the guise of nationalism are exclusive designed to protect native Koreans and put limitations on the rights of migrants.
The immigration law and the EPS law was made to marginalize the migrant workers, and in that sense very discriminatory. In limiting their ability to freely move about in the pursuit of a better life and better status, the migrant workers are left in a dilemma. They can either chose to live under constant oppression or fight for their right, but in the process risk losing their documentation and their job security.
These incidents reflect how receptive the Korean society is on the idea of
multi-culturalism. Their ambitious dream of establishing a multi-national,
multi-cultural society will remain as it is… a dream. As long as there is no legislation that would properly enforce the criminalization on all forms of discrimination, these despicable acts of abuse and violence will continue to happen and will in fact, worsen in the in the light of the current economic crisis.
In my perspective, to achieve a truly global nation we should take down borders, we should break down barriers and we should accept the fact that life and people come in a variety of race, color, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion and culture. If this fact was not accepted, Peace will remain to be elusive. 

* For more about the "incident" please read:

☞ Indian Accuses Korean of Racial Discrimination (K. Times, 8.03)

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More than twenty Nepali migrant workers arrested in S. Korea...

New wave of crackdown on migrant workers

planned for October and November

   
S. Korean immigration has detained in the last days more than 20 Nepali workers along with other  migrant workers for "overstaying their visas", the Nepalese newspaper Nagarik Daily reported last Saturday(9.12).

Some of them have already been deported to Nepal, while others are being detained at immigration detention centre.

The S.K. immigration had issued a public notice on September 2 urging the "illegal immigrants" to voluntarily return home within September saying it would launch a massive crackdown on un-documented migrant workers in October and November.

Un-documented migrants are terrified as the crackdown came earlier than they expected. Many Nepalis are taking refuge at religious and labour shelters. Some of them have even quit their jobs due to the fear of being detained.

Most of the so-called "illegal" migrant workers were detained from their residences and public places. The arrested also included several pregnant and ill women!