How it's like locally--Global Forum on Migration and Development

KASAMMAKO STATEMENT ON FORCED DEPORTATION OF FILIPINO WOMEN MIGRANT WORKERS IN SOUTH KOREA AND ITS IMPACT ON THEIR MINOR CHILDREN

While many state representatives and participants from non-government organizations are gathering in Manila for the United Nations sponsored Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) many migrant workers are forcibly deported, especially in South Korea where recently two Filipino women migrant workers have been arrested without considering the safety and welfare of their minor children. The ongoing clampdown on migrant workers in South Korea has remained unabated. We member organizations of KASAMMA-KO or the Unity of Filipino Migrant Workers Associations in Korea expose and deplore these ongoing violations of human rights of migrant workers and their family members.

On October 23, 2008 at around 2:00 p.m. Bernadette Bourbon of legal age and a Filipino migrant worker was arrested by the Korean immigration police in Caribi, Yangju City while she was on her way to pick up her nine years old daughter named Princess from an Elementary School in that city. She was brought to the immigration detention Center in Uijungbu City and is being processed for deportation. Despite the intervention of social workers and a minister from a Methodist Church to free Bernadette Bourbon for the main reason that she has a daughter who is schooling, the request was not granted unless she either post a bail of ten million won or not less than 8,000 US dollars and the temporary release that will last for only three months or both she and her daughter be immediately deported to the Philippines. While she is in detention her daughter Princess is under the care of the Methodist minister.

At around six o’clock on the 24th day of October another Filipino woman migrant worker was nabbed by the Korean immigration police in Tongdocheon city, north of Seoul. She is Mercy Silvano, of legal age and has a year and two months old baby boy named Freddie Cartel. Both were arbitrarily arrested and are being processed for deportation. With the sudden arrest, Mercy Silvano cuddling her baby was dragged by the immigration police to the car and was not allowed to bring any baby food such as milk and others. Inside the detention center, baby Freddie is being fed by food served to detainees. The Korean immigration office in Uijungbu refused to release the mother and child even with the knowledge of how to protect the rights of minor children and of migrant workers. The office hurriedly processed them for deportation to avoid criticism and protests from social workers and migrant workers organizations in Korea.

It is preposterous on the part of both the Korean and Philippine governments to allow the deportation of migrant workers with little regard of their human rights and their abdication to protect minor children of migrant workers. Not too long ago South Korea’s Counselor of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations has reported to the 44th Session of the UN Commission for Social Development that the government will realize programs to respect rights of children through its Child Protection and Development Plan and Comprehensive Measures for Children’s Safety, but it seems this is just a lip service to children.

Let everyone know that the United Nations International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families ensures the protection of rights of migrant workers and members of their families. We reiterate the provisions of this convention to remind the Korean and Philippine governments of their ethical responsibility to protect and respect the rights of children especially:

Article 29
Each child of a migrant worker shall have the right to a name, to registration of birth and to a nationality.
Article 30
Each child of a migrant worker shall have the basic right of access to education on the basis of equality of treatment with nationals of the State concerned. Access to public pre-school educational institutions or schools shall not be refused or limited by reason of the irregular situation with respect to stay or employment of either parent or by reason of the irregularity of the child's stay in the State of employment.

These articles in the UN International convention for the Protection of Rights of Migrant Workers and their Family Members will only be meaningful when participating governments should truly STOP CRACKDOWN and legalized all migrant workers. Also, the disregard for the rights and welfare of migrant workers and members of their families is the reason for migrant workers to unite for ZERO REMITTANCE DAY tomorrow October 29. The GFMD can only have its impact when labor sending countries can institute just distribution of national wealth and develop national economies so as to provide decent livelihood for the majority of its people.