Problems Still Stirs, Gov't Should Legalize UMWs
The Common Committee for Elimination of Discrimination against Migrant Workers and Promoting the Basic Rights(CEDMW), which is formed by civic social organizations and supporting organizations for migrant workers, launched on the 2nd floor of Christian Association Hall at 11 a.m. on May 7.
Source : Asian Workers News No. 130 (May 19, 2002)
By Yoon, Jae-hoon, Staff Reporter of Asian Workers News
The Common Committee for Elimination of Discrimination against Migrant Workers and Promoting the Basic Rights(CEDMW), which is formed by civic social organizations and supporting organizations for migrant workers, launched on the 2nd floor of Christian Association Hall at 11 a.m. on May 7. Through its statement, CEDMW urged Korean government to prepare fundamental measures, saying that 'Improvement Plan of Trainee Employment System' and 'Comprehensive Prevention against Illegal Stay' reported by the government have made migrant workers' problems much worse and complicated. Its request is as follows.
▲Abolishment of Trainee Employment System ▲Establish the law on employment of migrant workers and the securing of their human rights ▲Pardon undocumented workers and grant the legal right to work ▲Ratify International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
On the other hand, Joint Committee for Migrant Workers in Korea(JCMK) will conduct a regional campaign and a signature-collecting campaign along with CEDMW starting May 7 by the end of June and submit the results from campaigns to the National Assembly to promote the legislation movement related to migrant workers policy. And also, on May 10, JCMK will discuss current migrant workers policy and countermeasure internally. On the same day, through the social meeting with National Human
Rights Commission, it will address inhumanity of foreign manpower policy and pitfalls of comprehensive prevention against illegal stay.
It has been passed more than 10 years since we accepted foreign human resources. But Korean government has insisted on 'foreigners for Korea' and has been wasting its energy on protecting 'SalSaek', or skin color of our own. Unlike visible increasing numbers of migrant workers who register, now comprehensive prevention against illegal stay of Ministry of Justice has become a makeshift for migrant workers to end their miserable life as an illegal stayer even for a year. Considering this trend, we could clearly expect what will happen after March 31, next year. Without extra measures and policy change, even migrant workers who report the departure delay as well as undocumented workers would not leave Korea and stay here as undocumented workers again.
Actually, as a Korean, I would really love to support the government's desperate plan. As long as Korean government has been considering migrant workers harmful factors to the society that aggravate domestic unemployment problems and increase criminal rates caused by foreigners, however, there is no room for reconsideration. For whatever reason, we should try to avoid having many enemies to live with peace. Nevertheless, it is heartfully regret that Korean government make hundreds of thousands of migrant workers who have drawn a axis of Korean economy openly our enemies. There have been begging, appeasement, petition, and now even strike. I hope that Korean government will reexamine the foreign manpower policy entirely through its thoughtful consideration.
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