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Migrant rights organizations hold a press conference at the Seoul headquarters of the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy on Dec. 21 where they condemn the forced expulsion of Uzbek students from the country by Hanshin University. (courtesy of organizers)

Korean activist groups dedicated to migrant rights are calling for the Justice Ministry as the competent authority to investigate the forced expulsion of international students from the country by Hanshin University last month, and to revise immigration policy to ensure such abuses aren’t repeated.

A coalition of activists held a press conference at the Seoul headquarters of the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, an NGO, on Thursday.

“The Justice Ministry shifted its responsibility and duty to manage the sojourn of foreign students onto the university and is therefore the primary cause behind the forced deportation of the international students,” the coalition declared.

The groups demanded a thorough investigation into whether the Justice Ministry was involved, directly or indirectly, in the forced expulsion of Hanshin University students from the country. They also demanded that the responsible parties be held accountable.

The migrant rights groups placed the blame for the unjust expulsion of the Uzbek students on “discriminatory immigration policies that view students from a particular country as potential criminals, and a university management that views international students as nothing more than additional income.”

“The Justice Ministry must revise its relevant guidelines and policies so that such an incident does not repeat itself in the future. There also needs to be an overhaul in a policy approach that views international residents and students as nothing more than a specified period of stay, rather than viewing them as humans,” the coalition added.

The coalition comprised 130 human rights groups such as the Gonggam Human Rights Law Foundation and Migrant Center Friend.

“In the process of forcing 22 Uzbek students onto a plane at Incheon International Airport, which is administered by the Justice Ministry, a country that protects the constitutional rights of its citizens was nowhere to be found,” said Choi Jeong-gyu, an attorney from the Wongok law firm representing the Uzbek students involved.

“The Justice Ministry is not exempt from this negligence of constitutional rights,” he declared.

Hanshin University is also under fire for the incident.

“Hanshin University, which has no legal authority regarding immigration, forcibly deported students that came to Korea to study its language and culture. The university needs to be punished according to the law,” said Elyor, an Uzbek who operates an online community for Uzbek residents in Korea.

By Lee Jun-hee, staff reporter

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