‘Airport Refugee’ Case Raises Human Rights Concerns (Image supported by ChatGPT)
GIMHAE, South Korea, Sept. 26 (Korea Bizwire) – A Guinean man stranded for nearly five months in a departure holding room at Busan’s Gimhae International Airport has filed a petition with the National Human Rights Commission, alleging mistreatment while awaiting a chance to apply for refugee status.
The man, identified only as A, was denied entry to South Korea in April and refused deportation, citing political persecution and threats of life imprisonment if returned to Guinea. Since then, he has lived inside the airport’s restricted zone, subsisting for months on two chicken burgers a day before being allowed limited purchases at a convenience store.
Human rights groups — including the Refugee Rights Network and the advocacy group Duru — said Wednesday that immigration authorities have repeatedly blocked asylum reviews, fueling a rise in “airport refugees” who languish in substandard conditions without basic protections. They noted that A had visible scars from anti-military protests in Guinea but was still deemed not credible for refugee screening.
A won an initial court ruling ordering his case to be reviewed, but until appeals are exhausted he must remain in the airport facility, which rights advocates describe as “inhumane.” Similar long-term detentions at airports have drawn criticism in recent years, including a North African man who spent almost a year at Incheon Airport before losing his asylum case in 2023.
Lawmakers have floated a bill to establish external shelters for such cases, while some recent court victories have allowed individuals to move into refugee support centers outside airport grounds.
Advocates are urging the government to unify and reform asylum procedures, warning that without stronger safeguards South Korea risks systemic rights violations against those seeking protection.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
