I have joined others on the front lines of protests against the repatriation of North Korean refugees. Today, I am turning that protest into a plea for action by Western countries to be more welcoming of North Korean refugees. As you read the information below, keep in mind there are two things you can do.
1) Sign the petition.
2) Make a donation so we can have funds to send a North Korean refugee to speak at Congressional/Parliamentarian sessions.
North Korea is known for its oppressive
regime, where human rights are routinely violated and freedoms
are non-existent. The United Nations Commission of Inquiry on
Human Rights in North Korea has reported widespread abuses
including extermination, murder, enslavement, torture,
imprisonment, rape and forced abortions (UN Report
A/HRC/25/63).
Despite these horrifying conditions, many Western nations remain
hesitant to grant asylum to North Korean refugees. They applaud
them for escaping, then tell them to get in the long immigration
line.
According to Human Rights Watch's 2020 World Report on North
Korea's human rights situation - an estimated 30-50% of
approximately 10k-30k undocumented North Koreans living in China
were forcibly sent back over the past decade despite facing
serious risks upon return.
This petition calls upon Western nations - countries that
champion human rights and democracy - to open their doors wide
for these desperate souls seeking refuge from oppression. Let us
not turn our backs on them but instead extend our hands in
aid.
Please join me by signing this petition urging Western
governments to offer asylum and protection for those fleeing from
one of the world's most repressive regimes – let us stand
together as a beacon of hope for those who need it most.
Many appeals call on China to stop repatriating North Korean refugees. I support those and encourage you also to do so. This petition is focused on Western countries and democracies in particular. After you sign the comment, please mention which country you would like to encourage to be more welcoming of North Korean refugees.
Here's how you can help:
1) Sign the petition. https://www.change.org/locomotion
2) Make a donation to support this campaign. Last year we had a last-minute opportunity to send a North Korean refugee to participate in a hearing in Washington, D.C. There weren't any North Korean refugees testifying at the hearing. It was a last-minute request and we didn't have funds allocated for it so we didn't move forward. We would like to use the funds from this fundraiser to send a North Korean refugee the next time there is an opportunity to speak about repatriation and encourage Western countries to open their doors.
We estimate the following costs for a possible five-day stay.
$1,400 round-trip airfare
$700 hotel
$700 meals and transportation
I have spoken with several North Korean refugees who advocate for repatriation and have embraced this campaign.
Late last year, the Chinese government repatriated 500 to 600 North Koreans back to North Korea. There have been reports that there could be another 1,000 that could be repatriated at any time. If this fundraiser is successful, then we will be prepared to send at least one North Korean refugee to give speeches or testify about the importance of Western governments being more open to North Korean refugees.
* * *
Here is the link to a Korea Times column I wrote calling on Western countries to open their doors to North Korean refugees.
Here are some statistics from that column:
USA
- About 220 North Korean refugees have legally found refuge.
- 107 out of 238 North Korean applicants from 2004 to 2010 abandoned their asylum applications to the USA because of paperwork and delays.
Canada
- Canada’s 2016 census recorded that 970 North Koreans were residing in the country.
- By 2021, that number had plummeted to 775.
- By 2018, Canadian authorities initiated the deportation of 242 North Koreans and were in the process of deporting an additional 512 after discovering many had already obtained South Korean citizenship before moving to Canada.
United Kingdom
- More than one-third of the 1,300 asylum applications by North Korean refugees to the U.K. government were rejected between 2003 and 2018.
Belgium
- The Diplomat reported in 2015 that Belgium rejected 99 out of 126 asylum claims.
Netherlands
- In 2015, it rejected all 128 applications from North Korean refugees.
France
- In 2015, it rejected all 19 applications from North Korean refugees.
If you have more up-to-date numbers then please share them with me and I will update them here.
Support FSI: GoFundMe, PayPal, FSI bank account, FSI crowd-funding, Facebook fundraiser, Stripe, 우리은행: 1005-204-445516
#NorthKoreanRefugees, #GrantAsylum, #OpenDoors, #WesternNations, #HumanRights, #StopRepatriation, #ChangeOrgPetition, #GlobalSolidarity, #AsylumForNKRefugees, #CaseyLartigue, #케이시라티그
