📢Hello, this is Refugee news by MAP.
On October 28, a 25-year-old Vietnamese migrant worker known as Ms. Tuan, passed away at a factory in the Seongseo Industrial Complex in Daegu. She reportedly fell from a narrow second-floor storage area while hiding from an immigration joint enforcement team. The raid was part of intensified crackdowns on undocumented migrant workers ahead of the APEC Summit.
Tuan had been hiding for several hours in fear before the accident occurred. In her final moments, she texted a friend saying, “I’m scared. It’s hard to breathe.” We express our deepest condolences to her family, who must be grieving this heartbreaking loss.
Nationwide organizations for migrant and labor rights strongly condemned the incident, holding the immigration office and the government responsible for her death and demanding a public apology. President Lee has previously stated that “discrimination and violence against migrant workers are serious crimes” and called for a solution. However, no meaningful changes have been felt, and deaths and injuries continue to occur in Korean society.
Rights groups stressed that only this year alone, there have been multiple cases of migrant workers dying or getting injured during crackdowns. In January (Incheon), February (Hwaseong), and March (Paju), migrant workers were injured or killed while attempting to escape raids.
Rights groups also criticized the Ministry of Justice for violating its own “Human Rights Guidelines.” They claim that immigration officers failed to take required safety precautions, entered factories without the employer’s consent, and arrested workers without properly informing them of their rights (Miranda warning) or checking visa status. They demanded that the entire process of the raid be made public and that the full details of the incident be disclosed.
Rights groups once again emphasized the phrase,
“No human being is illegal.”
They argued that undocumented migrant workers are filling essential jobs that Korean society depends on, and should not be treated as criminals or targets of fear. They urged the government to shift from violent crackdowns to humane and rights-based policies.
Specifically, the groups called on the government to issue an official apology, hold those responsible accountable, and replace forced crackdowns with a stable and inclusive residency system. They further demanded that long-term undocumented residents be given opportunities to regularize their status, and that basic labor and safety rights be guaranteed regardless of visa type.
Meanwhile, on November 6 at 7 p.m., a candlelight vigil will be held in central Seoul to commemorate Tuan and to call for a society where migrant workers and refugees can live safely and with dignity.
Source: [연명요청] “무서워. 숨을 쉬기 힘들어” – 정부합동단속에 의한 이주노동자 사망 사건 책임자 처벌 및 강제단속 중단 촉구 기자회견
