Hello, this is Refugee News! We are pleased to share with you the joint statement on the occasion of International Migrants Day held on December 18, 2024. MAP remains committed to working toward a society where migrants can live equally, freely, and safely.
joint statement on the occasion of International Migrants Day
Guarantee the Labor Rights, Housing Rights, and Health Rights of All Migrants!
Today is International Migrants Day, which the UN set to honor the adoption of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families in 2000. This day also marks the anniversary of the tragic death of Sok Heng, a Cambodian migrant worker, who died in a workplace accident in a cold plastic greenhouse on December 20, four years ago. Recently, we also saw the heartbreaking death of Tae-wan Kang, a young migrant worker who had grown up as an undocumented child, after he lost his life in a work-related accident. Before that, there was the Arisel Disaster, a major industrial accident that killed 18 migrant workers, including Koreans. This tragedy is still unresolved, and the families of the victims continue to fight for justice. There was also the death of a Vietnamese woman worker during an immigration raid.
We remember all the migrant workers who have died in Korea. May they rest in peace, and may we work towards a world free from discrimination and workplace accidents.
Right now, the living conditions of migrant workers in winter are a serious concern. On November 27, when heavy snowfall caused damage across the country, temporary buildings like migrant workers’ dormitories and plastic greenhouse housing collapsed under the weight of the snow. The poor conditions of these dorms were fully exposed. Even though emergency measures have been put in place, they are still not enough. Gyeonggi Province asked the Ministry of Labor for information about the workplaces where migrant workers are employed, but the Ministry has not provided it yet. The Ministry of Labor must quickly share this information and, at the national level, all government agencies should inspect migrant workers’ housing to prepare for the cold and snow.
The current system, where employers can register temporary housing as “dormitories” with local governments and then use them freely, must be changed. Temporary buildings are very vulnerable to fires, heatwaves, heavy rain, cold waves, and snow, and they should be banned entirely. We cannot allow the living conditions of migrant workers to become even more dangerous due to the climate crisis. We must act to protect them.
Many migrant workers, including those under the Employment Permit System, seasonal workers, skilled workers, and fishery workers, are still stuck in forced labor because they are not allowed to change jobs. They are being pushed into situations of discrimination and exploitation. Seasonal work has even been recognized by the government as a form of trafficking and exploitation. Wage theft, where workers don’t get paid properly, is becoming a bigger problem every day. Yet, the government and employers continue to force migrant workers into these poor conditions with no solutions. Whether they have a work visa or not, most migrants work hard to survive, but the country’s laws continue to encourage discrimination and push dangerous jobs onto migrant workers. Regardless of their status—be they ethnic Koreans, refugees, marriage migrants, or international students—all migrant workers deserve better and safer working conditions. Their labor rights and health rights must be protected. The attempt to apply different minimum wages based on race must stop, and we must end the practice of forcing migrant women to do low-paid care work.
Health and safety are the most important issues for migrants. Especially for undocumented migrants, they don’t have health insurance, so they can’t go to the hospital or get proper medical care. They live in constant fear of being arrested or deported, and if they get injured doing hard work, it’s difficult for them to apply for workers’ compensation. Undocumented migrant children and teenagers also struggle to access public health care, childcare, and education, making it hard for them to dream about the future or plan ahead. We need policies that give undocumented migrants legal status so that their health and safety can be protected.
The Arisel disaster has shown how migrant workers face higher risks, and the measures to prevent workplace accidents are still insufficient. Every day, migrant workers continue to lose their lives. The heartbreaking cries to stop these deaths have been repeated year after year. Recent studies show that the rate of workplace deaths among migrant workers is up to 3.6 times higher than that of local workers. It’s clear that urgent action is needed. On this International Migrants Day and the 4th anniversary of Sok Heng’s death, we strongly urge the government once again to guarantee the labor rights, housing rights, and health rights of all migrants.
- Inspect migrant workers’ living conditions and prepare emergency measures for cold waves and heavy snow!
- Ban all temporary structures and ensure decent dormitories for migrant workers!
- Guarantee freedom to change workplaces for all migrant workers! Implement a labor permit system!
- Stop the migration of danger, and create fundamental safety measures for migrant workers in industrial settings!
- End wage theft and stop attempts to apply differential minimum wages!
- Stop gender discrimination and sexual violence against migrant women workers!
- Eliminate discrimination against migrant workers in agriculture and fisheries, and guarantee their rights!
- Stop deportation raids on undocumented migrants and guarantee their right to stay!
- Extend protection measures for undocumented migrant children and teenagers, and guarantee their right to stay!
- Ratify the UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers!
2024.12.18
Joint Statement by Migrant Rights Organizations on the Occasion of International Migrants Day Participating Organizations
경계인의몫소리연구소, 공익법률지원센터 파이팅챈스(법무법인 원곡), 공익법센터 어필, 공익인권법재단 공감, 난민인권센터, 대한불교조계종사회노동위원회, (사)한국이주민건강협회 위프렌즈, 외국인이주노동자인권을위한모임, 이주민지원공익센터 감사와 동행, 이주와 인권연구소, 참여연대, 한국이주여성인권센터, 한국이주인권센터, 경기이주평등연대((사)공감직업환경의학센터, 노동당경기도당, 다산인권센터, 민주노총경기도본부, 민주노총수원용인화성지부, 민주사회를위한변호사모임노동위원회, 반월시화공단노동조합‘월담’, 수원이주민센터, 오산이주노동자센터, 이주노동법률지원센터소금꽃나무, 지구인의정류장, 화성노동안전네트워크 한국노동안전보건연구소), 광주·전남이주노동자인권네트워크(광주민중의집, 광주비정규직센터, 광주외국인복지센터, 광주외국인노동자센터, 공익변호사와함께하는동행, 금속노조광주전남지부, 금속노조광주자동차부품사비정규직지회, 공공운수노조광주전남지부, 전남노동권익센터, 전환 광주전남지부, 사회진보연대광주전남지부, 광주전남노동안전보건지킴이(준)), 난민인권네트워크(TFC(The First Contact for Refugee), 공익법센터 어필, 공익변호사와 함께하는 동행, 공익사단법인 정, 공익인권법재단 공감, 공익인권센터 드림(DREAM), 국제난민지원단체 피난처, 글로벌호프, 난민인권센터(NANCEN), 동두천난민공동체, 동두천가톨릭센터, 동작FM, 민주사회를 위한 변호사모임 국제연대위원회, 비영리단체 겨자풀, 사단법인 두루, 성가소비녀회 의정부관구 동두천 베타니아, 성가소비녀회 의정부관구 파주 베타니아, 수원글로벌드림센터, 순천이주민지원센터, 아시아의친구들, 아시아평화를향한이주MAP, 이주여성을위한문화경제공동체 에코팜므, 이주민지원공익센터 감동, 외국인이주노동자인권을위한모임, 의정부 EXODUS, 이주민센터 친구, 천주교제주교구이주사목센터 나오미, 재단법인 동천, 재단법인 화우공익재단, 제주평화인권연구소 왓, 참여연대, 파주EXODUS, 한국이주인권센터), 대전충청이주인권운동연대(다문화대안학교 알스쿨, 대전이주노동자연대, 대전이주민지원센터, 아산이주노동자센터, 음성군외국인지원센터, 이주민노동인권센터, 음성군외국인지원센터, 충남다문화가정협회, 충남이주여성상담소, 충북이주여성인권센터, 홍성이주민센터), 외국인이주노동운동협의회(남양주시외국인복지센터, 모두를위한이주인권문화센터, 부천이주노동복지센터, 서울외국인노동자센터, 순천이주민지원센터, 아산이주노동자센터, 아시아인권문화연대, 외국인이주노동자인권을위한모임, 원불교서울외국인센터, 이주민센터동행, 인천외국인노동자센터, 파주샬롬의집, 포천나눔의집이주민지원센터, (사)한국이주민건강협회희망의친구들, (사)한국이주여성인권센터, 한삶의집, 함께하는공동체), 이주노동자 인권·노동권 실현을 위한 대구경북지역연대회의(경북북부이주노동자센터, 대구이주민선교센터(북부,현풍), 성서공단지역지회, 이주와가치, 민주노총경북지역본부, 민주노총대구지역본부, 경산장애인자립생활센터, 대구경북인도주의실천의사협의회, 대구사람장애인자립생활센터, 땅과자유, 민주사회를위한 변호사모임대구지부, 무지개인권연대, 인권운동연대, 장애인지역공동체, 지구별동무, 좌파활동가대구결집, 기본소득당대구시당, 노동당대구시당, 노동당경북도당, 녹색당대구시당, 정의당대구시당, 진보당대구시당), 이주노동119(전국금속노동조합 경남지부, 지구인의정류장, 이주노동자노동조합, 이주노동자운동후원회, 공익인권법재단공감, 법무법인 원곡, 링크이주민통번역협동조합, 일환경건강센터), 이주노동자평등연대(건강권 실현을 위한 보건의료단체연합(건강권 실현을 위한 행동하는 간호사회, 건강사회를 위한 약사회, 건강사회를 위한 치과의사회, 노동건강연대, 인도주의실천의사협의회, 참의료실현청년한의사회), 공공운수노조사회복지지부 이주여성조합원모임, 노동당, 노동사회과학연구소, 노동전선, 녹색당, 대한불교조계종사회노동위원회, 성공회용산나눔의집, 민변노동위원회, 사회진보연대, 이주노동자노동조합(MTU), (사)이주노동희망센터, 이주노동자운동후원회, 이주민센터친구, 인권운동네트워크 바람, 전국민주노동조합총연맹, 전국불안정노동철폐연대, 지구인의정류장, 천주교인권위원회, 필리핀공동체카사마코, 한국비정규노동센터), 이주민 인권을 위한 부산울산경남공대위(노동당 부산시당, 민주노총 부산본부, (사)이주민과함께, (사)희망웅상, (사)함께하는 세상, 울산이주민센터, 정의당 부산시당, 진보당 부산시당)