[Welcome Statement by Migrant Rights Organizations] Dreaming of Coexistence and Solidarity for Equality for All, We Support Enacting the Anti-Discrimination Act!
The “Anti-Discrimination Act for Everyone” has been introduced. The Justice Party stated that the purpose of the bill is “the Justice Party’s earnest proposal and promise to move toward a community of solidarity and cooperation based on the dignity of every individual.” The National Human Rights Commission of Korea has also announced its Bill on Equality and Anti-Discrimination and recommended that the National Assembly enact it. Migrant rights organizations welcome the first step taken by the 10 lawmakers and the steps toward enacting an anti-discrimination law, including the Commission’s recommendation to enact an equality law. Furthermore, because the governing party, holding a huge 176 seats in the 21st National Assembly, has no reason to refuse to enact an anti-discrimination law, we urge the Democratic Party of Korea to realize accountable politics by legislating the Anti-Discrimination Act.
Since the Anti-Discrimination Act was first introduced in the 17th National Assembly, legislation was attempted three times, including in the 18th and 19th National Assemblies, and each time it was postponed with the repeated words “later,” on the grounds that social consensus must come first. It has already been 15 years of hiding behind the words “social consensus” when it comes to guaranteeing basic human rights. In the meantime, conservative Christian hate groups extended their power in every direction. In the end, the bill could not even be introduced in the 20th National Assembly.
The National Assembly has been swayed by a small, overrepresented minority of hate groups. Lawmakers said that social consensus must come first, but the great majority of citizens already support enacting the Anti-Discrimination Act. In the public opinion survey of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (hereinafter the Commission) announced on the 23rd, 88.5% of respondents said that they support enacting the Anti-Discrimination Act. There is no reason whatsoever to postpone any longer an Anti-Discrimination Act that the public overwhelmingly supports.
Going through the disaster of COVID-19, Korean society has come to realize all the more keenly that a comprehensive anti-discrimination law with no exceptions for anyone is needed. Migrants are people who sustain Korean society, yet in daily life they suffer countless forms of discrimination, such as disregard and insults, because their country of origin, skin color, language, and religion are different. Migrant workers in poor working conditions still cannot change workplaces freely. Deadly crackdowns and deportations of undocumented migrants and violence against marriage migrant women are also incessant. Moreover, in the crisis of the COVID-19 disaster, there were no exceptions in the spread of the virus, yet migrants and refugees were excluded from disaster relief policies and the like because they are not “nationals.” The naked face of discrimination, which Korean society was ashamed of and afraid of and tried to hide, was revealed all the more clearly.
In this crisis, we have again realized the ordinary truth that only when no one is excluded are everyone’s human rights respected and everyone’s safety guaranteed. The Anti-Discrimination Act is a law that protects everyone’s “well-being.” The change that will follow the enactment of the Anti-Discrimination Act is not limited to providing remedies in various cases of discrimination. It will guarantee everyone’s human rights across all areas of life and put in place the minimum safeguards for responding socially to discrimination and hatred.
The comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Act, introduced again after a long wait, must now be enacted without fail. Migrant rights organizations welcome the steps toward enacting the Anti-Discrimination Act and pledge to stand in solidarity together.
1 July 2020
All Migrant Rights Organizations in Korea
이주노동자 차별철폐와 인권·노동권 실현을 위한 공동행동(건강권실현을위한보건의료단체연합, 경기이주공대위, 김포이웃살이, 공익인권법재단 공감, 구속노동자후원회, 노동당, 노동사회과학연구소, 노동전선, 노동자연대, 녹색당, 대한불교조계종사회노동위원회, 대한성공회 용산나눔의집, 문화연대, 민주사회를위한변호사모임노동위원회, 민주주의법학연구회, 민주평등사회를 위한 전국교수연구자협의회, 사회변혁노동자당, 사회진보연대, 이주노동자노동조합(MTU), (사)이주노동희망센터, 이주노동자운동후원회, 이주민방송(MWTV), 이주민센터 친구, 전국민주노동조합총연맹, 전국불안정노동철폐연대, 전국빈민연합, 전국철거민연합, 전국학생행진, 정의당, 지구인의정류장, 천주교인권위원회, 필리핀공동체카사마코, (사)한국불교종단협의회인권위원회, 한국비정규노동센터),
외국인이주·노동운동협의회((사)모두를 위한 이주인권문화센터, 아산이주노동자센터, 부천이주노동복지센터, 인천외국인노동자센터, (사)한국이주민건강협회 희망의친구들, 남양주시외국인복지센터, 파주샬롬의집, 포천나눔의집, 서울외국인노동자센터, 아시아인권문화연대, 순천이주민지원센터, 외국인이주노동자인권을위한모임, 의정부EXODUS, (사)함께하는 공동체, (사)한국이주여성인권센터, 원불교 서울외국인센터),
이주인권연대(경산(경북)이주노동자센터, 경주이주노동자센터, 아시아의 창, 울산이주민센터, 이주민과 함께, 이주민노동인권센터, 이주와 인권연구소, 지구인의 정류장, 한국이주인권센터),
난민인권네트워크 (TFC(The First Contact for Refugee) 공익법센터 어필, 공익변호사와 함께하는 동행, 공익사단법인 정, 공익인권법재단 공감, 공익인권센터 드림(DREAM), 글로벌호프, 난민인권센터, 동두천난민공동체, 동작FM, 사단법인 두루, 서울온드림교육센터, 수원글로벌드림센터, 순천이주민지원센터, 아시아의 친구들, 아시아평화를향한이주MAP, 이주여성을위한문화경제공동체 에코팜므,이주민지원공익센터 감동, 의정부 EXODUS, (사)이주민센터 친구, 천주교 제주교구 이주사목센터 나오미, 재단법인 동천, 재단법인 화우 공익재단, 제주평화인권연구소 왓, 파주 EXODUS, 한국이주인권센터),
두레방, (사)이주민센터 친구, 이주민지원공익센터 감동, 이주민센터 동행, 한국다문화복지협회 부천지부, 별사랑이주민센터, 국경없는 친구들 (무순)