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An increasing number of North Korean defectors who have found it difficult to settle in South Korea are seeking asylum in welfare states in Europe. Last year, 72 defectors asked for asylum in Norway, compared to 26 in the previous year, according to the U.S. government-funded broadcasting service Voice of America on March 17.

It is known that a considerable number of North Koreans who have asked for asylum in other countries are not recent defectors, but North Koreans who have gained South Korean citizenship and lived in the country for a period of time following their defection, or are former residents of China pretending to have just defected from North Korea. Under a generous policy regarding refugees, the Norwegian government provides temporary apartments and a modest stipend for living expenses to those seeking asylum while they are waiting for the screening process to be complete, making it more likely that North Koreans looking to defect directly from North Korea, and those simply hoping to leave the South, are requesting asylum regardless of whether or not the nation will accept them. However, the Northern European country has a very complicated screening procedure and only seven out of the 72 people who asked for asylum last year were granted refugee status.

Part of the reason why so many people have been turned away may be that the Norwegian government is well aware of the fact that so many applicants are not actually refugees. The Norwegian government says that many of those who have sought asylum in that country can easily can go to other countries because they have South Korean passports. Quite a few applicants abandoned their efforts in the midst of the screening process because they were found to have fabricated identification documents or to have lied about having first settled in another country before seeking asylum in Norway.

Meanwhile, the British government allowed 75 out of 165 North Koreans asking for asylum in the first nine months of last year to live in that country. Approximately 300-350 defectors have been living in England since the second half of last year, as they wait for an opportunity to request asylum. Most of these people enter England disguised as tourists and hide their South Korean passports, saying that they came to Britain directly from Southeast Asian countries. More than half of the North Korean defectors living in England reportedly are in their 20s, and say they left South Korea because they were unable to adapt themselves to their new circumstances. However, life in England is often difficult for them as well, as an inability to speak English often makes it difficult for them to find employment.

Officials from human rights organizations say that a large number of North Koreans who had at some point settled in South Korea have been moving to European countries such as Britain, Norway, and Germany over the past one or two years.The officials worry that those living in third nations who need protection may now be at a disadvantage because of the actions of North Koreans who want to leave the South.

As of March 2007, the number of North Korean defectors in South Korea surpassed 10,000. The influx of so many defectors is becoming an issue of social concern, as reduced government resettlement funding and relatively few employment opportunities have placed them in the ranks of the underprivileged class.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]