Arroyo asked to protest SoKor crackdown on undocumented workers

Arroyo asked to protest SoKor crackdown on undocumented workers
By MARIA ALETA O. NIEVA, abs-cbnNEWS.com | 11/19/2008 1:02 AM

An alliance of Filipino migrant workers on Tuesday called on the government to immediately respond to the ongoing crackdown against undocumented workers in South Korea.

Migrante International chairperson Garry Martinez told abs-cbnNEWS.com that the government must be prepared to extend assistance to undocumented Filipinos in South Korea who will be affected by the crackdown.

“Ano ang kahandaan ng gobyerno na harapin ito? May mga karapatan ng mangagawa na naba-violate dito. Kasalanan din ng gobyerno. Sila ang nagtulak sa kanila,” Martinez said.

Migrante International reported Tuesday that the South Korean Ministry of Justice and immigration authorities has stepped up its campaign to rid the country of undocumented workers by launching wide-scale raids inside industrial complexes, factories, and even migrants’ dormitories and residences.

“Nandyan ang makinaryam ang P150 million assistance to nationals. Huwag nang magdalawang-isip. Kung nakapagtapon sila ng pera much more dapat gastusan nila ang OFW,” he said.

The group received reports from Korea-based Migrants Trade Union (MTU) and Migrante member organization Katipunan ng mga Samahan ng Migranteng Manggagawa sa Korea (KASAMMAKO-MIGRANTE) that the Korean Ministry of Justice with more than a hundred police and immigration authorities, carried out massive raids inside the Masok Industrial Complex in Namyangju City, Gyounggi-Do and at the Cheong-San Farm in Yeon-Chon, Gyounggi-Do on the morning of November 12.

"There were reports of hundreds of police officers cordoning off the Masok Industrial Complex, and indiscriminately arresting migrant workers. They didn't bother to identify themselves and barged inside migrants' dormitories and housing units. There were also reports of verbal and physical abuse," said Martinez.

According to Martinez, who also worked in South Korea as a factory worker for 12 years, the Masok raid resulted to the arrest of more than 100 migrant workers.

"According to the MTU, there is now a state of terror and fear among migrant workers in Korea as a result of last week's brutal Masok raid,” he said.

“We urge President Gloria Arroyo to protest South Korean President Lee Myung Bak's directive to set a quota on undocumented workers' arrests per region. This has effectively given free rein to immigration authorities to carry out barbaric arrests among undocumented workers, Filipinos included," he added.

The group said there are more than 30,000 undocumented Filipino workers in South Korea. They added that the crackdowns on undocumented migrant workers are also being carried out in the US, in Europe and Malaysia, to name a few.