Watchdog says human rights were violated in crackdown on foreign workers

By Kim Boram
SEOUL, March 10 (Yonhap) -- The Justice Ministry violated human rights when it
raided factories lodging foreign workers last November and should take
correctional measures to prevent a recurrence of the incident, South Korea's
human rights watchdog said Tuesday.
Some 200 inspectors, in a crackdown on illegal immigrant workers, had charged
into an industrial complex on the outskirts of Seoul to round up unregistered
foreign laborers. Complaints were filed soon afterward accusing the inspectors of
infringing on the workers' rights, but the Justice Ministry denied the
allegations and argued their actions were inevitable in maintaining order.
The complaints said the inspectors broke down the door, forcibly took a sleeping
woman into custody, and denied prompt medical care for a man who complained of
severe pain after hurting his knee while trying to flee, the commission said.
The watchdog also said that the inspectors entered the complex without the
owner's permission and neglected to notify the workers of their Miranda rights
until they were rounded up and hoisted onto patrol vehicles.
A woman was forced to relieve herself outdoors after she was not allowed to use a
lavatory, the commission said.
"We found that there were a number of human rights violations when the Ministry
of Justice cracked down on unregistered immigrant workers," the watchdog said.
"We recommended that the justice minister amend inspection practices and
establish measures to prevent recurrence of the incident. We also recommended
that the inspectors at the immigration office be given training on preventing
sexual harassment," it said.
The commission's suggestions are not legally binding, although they serve as
pressure on the parties to comply.
Out of 690,000 foreign workers in South Korea, an estimated 200,000 are believed
to be in the country illegally, according to the justice and labor ministries.
brk@yna.co.kr
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