Reference booklet for asylum seekers

A human rights reference booklet was released on Monday for asylum seekers living in Korea, according to an NGO here specializing in migrant women affairs.

Ecofemme and the National Human Rights Commission teamed up to create “Human Rights in My Pocket,” a booklet that contains essential information for asylum seekers living in the country.

The booklet describes different scenarios and offers detailed responses in a wide range of issues including applying for refugee status, health insurance and child education.

The refugee human rights educational booklet details 35 scenarios including what to do after losing a passport and how to procure a translator during a refugee status interview.

The booklet is divided into five main sections for legal, medical, employment, education and housing. According to the NGO, legal issues are one of the areas most featured in the book, as refugees are usually unfamiliar with the justice system here and lack knowledge of the Korean language. The NGO hopes to help refugees confidently assert their rights when dealing with civil servants over legal issues.

According to the NGO the booklet also deals with health care for refugees who are unable to afford treatment at a hospital. The book details how to apply for health insurance and also offers information on different free clinics and social welfare programs for those who do not qualify for health insurance.

“We put together typical situations that refugees would face in order to help build their confidence in handling situations on their own rather than depending on different support groups,” said Ecofemme’s representative Park Jin-sook.

By Robert Lee (robert@heraldcorp.com)