- Immediately withdraw the legislative attempt at discrimination and exclusion of refugees based on racial prejudice -
March 21 is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, designated by the UN. This day was established to honor those who were killed in 1960 in South Africa while protesting against racial discrimination, and on it the whole world pledged that no discrimination or persecution can be justified on the grounds of race or nationality.
The Korean government also has a responsibility to defend these universal human rights values. Yet we are appalled by the news that the ruling Democratic Party is about to introduce an amendment to the Refugee Act that tramples on the rights of refugees. The amendment being prepared by the office of Representative Kim Ki-pyo strips asylum seekers of their procedural rights, brands them as potential abusers of the system, and is nothing less than a modern form of racially discriminatory legislation that seeks to push them out of our society.
The anti-human-rights poison clauses of this amendment are as follows.
First, the provision for dismissal of applications on grounds such as “submission of false documents” is an unrealistic poison clause that ignores the particular circumstances of refugees. Asylum seekers, who flee in haste from persecution in their country of nationality, inevitably face structural limits in securing supporting documents. Although the provision is said to be limited to cases in which a court judgment has established the falsehood, it will turn the asylum procedure into a criminal matter and result in treating all applicants as potential criminals. This does not raise the accuracy of the screening; it chills applications themselves and undermines the essence of the refugee protection system.
Second, restricting reapplication brands refugees as “abusers of the system” and leaves them at risk of refoulement. Korea’s refugee recognition rate remains at 1 to 2 percent, the lowest level in the OECD. With insufficient screening staff and no interpretation, translation or legal support, reapplication is the last lifeline that persecuted people can hold on to. Dismissing a reapplication unless there is a significant change of circumstances violates the principle of non-refoulement and is tantamount to driving these people to their deaths.
Third, uniform dismissal for failure to respond to a summons to appear is an administrative-convenience idea that turns a blind eye to the harsh situation of refugees. Their unstable status of stay makes it difficult even to activate a mobile phone, and contact can be hard because of frequent moves or unstable working hours. Dismissing the application after three failures to respond, while ignoring such varied circumstances, is in effect a declaration that the opportunity for screening itself will be taken away.
We strongly warn the Democratic Party to stop this attempt if it regards democracy and human rights as core values of the party. This amendment carries a racist view that others refugees as a threat to the safety of our society and encourages discrimination. At this moment, as we mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the step the Democratic Party should show is not legislation of hatred and exclusion but the politics of inclusion that takes the hand of those in the lowest place.
We make the following demands of Representative Kim Ki-pyo’s office and the Democratic Party.
Reflect on the meaning of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and immediately withdraw the push for the Refugee Act amendment containing discriminatory poison clauses.
The Democratic Party must stop legislative politics that relies on hatred and prepare refugee protection measures that conform to international human rights norms.
We believe that every being has the right to be safe, regardless of race or nationality. If the Democratic Party forces through this anti-human-rights bill, we solemnly declare that we will stand in solidarity with human rights organizations at home and abroad and take up a struggle to stop it.
March 20, 2026
광주전남 이주노동자 인권네트워크, 이행移行: 이주민 인권을 위한 행정사 모임(사람이왔다_이주노동자 차별철폐 네트워크), 이주인권 셋, 인권운동네트워크 바람, 인권운동사랑방, 성적권리와 재생산정의를 위한 센터 셰어SHARE, 소수자난민인권네트워크, 화성외국인보호소방문 시민모임 마중, 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), 이주구금대응네트워크((사)한국알트루사 난민과함께살기, DLG 공익인권센터, 공익법단체 두루, 공익법센터 어필, 공익인권법재단 공감, 난민인권센터, 대한불교조계종 사회노동위원회, 소수자난민인권네트워크, 아시아평화를향한이주MAP, 울산이주민센터, 외국인·이주노동운동협의회, 이주노동자노동조합(MTU), 이주노동자인권·노동권 실현을 위한 대구경북지역연대회의, 이주노동자평등연대, 이주민지원공익센터 감사와 동행, 이주여성인권포럼, 천주교인권위원회, 트랜스보더링랩(Trans-boder-ing Lab), 화성외국인보호소방문시민모임 마중), 이주노동자평등연대(건강권 실현을 위한 보건의료단체연합(건강권 실현을 위한 행동하는 간호사회, 건강사회를 위한 약사회, 건강사회를 위한 치과의사회, 노동건강연대, 인도주의실천의사협의회, 참의료실현청년한의사회), 노동당, 노동사회과학연구소, 노동전선, 녹색당, 대한불교조계종사회노동위원회, 성공회용산나눔의집, 민변노동위원회, 사회진보연대, 이주노동자노동조합(MTU), (사)이주노동희망센터, 이주노동자운동후원회, 이주민센터친구, 인권운동네트워크 바람, 전국민주노동조합총연맹, 전국불안정노동철폐연대, 지구인의정류장, 천주교인권위원회, 필리핀공동체카사마코, 한국비정규노동센터)
Attachments
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Partial Amendment Bill to the Refugee Act
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Opinion paper of the Korea Refugee Rights Network