It’s not all grim up North: North Korean Refugees in the UK Find Life Tough, Particularly with Looming Spending Cuts

By: Darren Southcott

Food shortages and societal collapse have brought record numbers of refugees fleeing the grip of the North Korean regime, yet for many the short crossing of the Tumen River into China brings more the life of the fugitive than the refugee. The years spent in hiding in China and the constant threat of deportation and imprisonment in the North Korean gulag make for a purgatory-like existence.

With over a quarter of a million people marching the streets of London on Saturday, the Refugee Council of the UK has stated that refugee community organisations around the country face closure, and further cuts to frontline services disproportionately impact refugees. Already amongst the most poverty-stricken in the UK, life could be about to get tougher for them.

Around 1,000 North Koreans currently live in the UK, having either arrived directly after leaving China or coming via South Korea. Even for those who receive refugee status there are few support systems available and the trauma of persecution increases their vulnerability.

The solace of UK refuge is tempered by lingering trauma, lost family and friends, and rebuilding a life from scratch, again. The UK’s dispersal system, whereby refugees are sent to outlying towns, often serves to isolate refugees and exacerbate community tensions, leaving them to suffer alone.

Some North Koreans live in northern towns isolated from support networks in London

One South Korean pastor, Mr Kim, is dedicated to helping refugees from the North and selflessly serves as a social worker, friend and confidant. Spread out across a handful of northern towns, the pastor connects the individuals to the larger community in London and also brings needed supplies and news not available locally. Although an active man of the church, the pastor extends help to all of those in need, regardless of religious background.

“I have seen and heard the dangers they face first-hand and now they remain traumatised, fearful and untrusting of strangers. On top of this they are alone in the community, so I try to be a friendly face they can see at least once a week,” he said. “Back in North Korea they could not even trust their close family members because of the risk from security forces, so they are distrustful of authority and strangers. I try to build trust so I can help as much as I can.”

I travelled with the pastor on his weekly rounds up to the northern English towns where a handful of refugees live. Their deep distrust and trauma necessitates anonymity, due to fear of reprisals from North Korean agents, who are still feared to be monitoring the community.

Driving up from London we arrive amid rows of identical terraces, in which the refugees live invisibly but stoically, building a new life against the odds. ‘Mr Jeong,’ living on a red-brick terraced-housing estate in a northern suburban town, says the new environment has brought fresh challenges to his family. We settle down in his sitting room, surrounded by pictures of his children proudly posing in traditional Korean dress.

“We have been targeted by some of the kids in the local area, which has caused great stress. We are isolated and have no friends around here and my son has been bullied at school. Look, I’m even losing some hair through the stress!” he said.

The psychological pain is compounded by heart problems precipitated by torture, making a mobility chair to get upstairs indispensible. Despite being a talented carpenter and chef he has been unable to find work since arriving three years ago. The meal he lays out for us is testament to his skills – as are the hand-made chairs – and his guests are treated to a range of Korean delicacies and staples. I asked him if he eats like this every day.

“We lived through so much hardship while in North Korea and close family members died. These memories stay with us and we want to enjoy every meal to its fullest,” he said.

He hopes to open a restaurant when his condition improves and his son seems to be a very capable partner, showing that academic excellence is a trait shared on either side of the DMZ-divide.

“He is top of his class in both English and Maths, despite only being here three years. I am very proud of him and all of my family. I do not want us to be a burden on anyone and once I am able to I want to work and provide for all of them,” he shared. “Once we are through this tough time I want to help others in need, just like Pastor Kim does now.”

This resilience and diligence is a quality shared in abundance by North Koreans, perhaps unsurprising given the horrors of their experiences. Waving our goodbyes, the Pastor took us on to the next town, again nestled amongst hills dotted with housing estates.

Mr Ko was living in a communal centre for refugees while awaiting the result of his claim for refugee status. Despite language and cultural barriers the refugees often spent time together at the library or in the sparsely furnished flat. It did not take long, however, before the realities of refugee life were brought home. Mr Ko explained that money had been withdrawn from his account unauthorised.

Crossing the Tumen into China at night (Source: The Daily Telegraph)

“I’m not sure why, but £10 is coming out every month. I tried to have it cancelled by the bank last week, but it is still coming out,” he said. “This is a large amount of money for me. I’m not sure if I clicked something online by accident, or not.”

Pastor Kim was sure that fraud was taking place and explained that this was not the first setback Mr Ko had experienced since leaving North Korea. “He has lost everything close to him and now he wants the opportunity to start his life afresh. The stress of everything has really taken its toll and I try to bring him food to keep him healthy. You can see by his condition that he rarely eats,” the Pastor said.

Coming from a relatively privileged background in North Korea, Mr Ko’s furrowed brow hints at the traumas that forced him to flee. Although nothing can compare to the persecution suffered at home, the transition to the UK had brought its own problems.

“At the moment I am just waiting for my appeal to go through. There is nothing I can do at the moment but wait, which makes me feel isolated. There are no other Koreans up here to support me, but I am thankful for the pastor’s trips to see me,” he said.

This feeling of isolation was becoming a common theme and as we drove off the pastor handed Mr Ko a bag of tortilla crisps, impelling ‘man-ee du-se-yo,’ a Korean plea to eat well. Set amongst the housing estates and boarded-up pubs of the town, the loneliness felt palpable and our thoughts were with him as we drove off.

The last of the pastor’s stops was in one of the larger northern English cities. Having felt its fair share of industrial decline, its recent resurgence had been knee-capped by the financial crisis and abandoned properties again marked the route into town. We turned down an eerily quiet row of terraces, before spotting some young children playing colourfully on the pavement.

“They’re here, they’re here,” the children shouted, as they ran into their house to fetch their mum and grandmother, Mrs Song. The children picked up their bicycles and took them inside, excitedly giggling at the arrival of their Pastor and friend.

It seemed a world away from the more subdued atmosphere at the other houses and as the Pastor began to lead the hymn-singing it was clear that despite their isolation they had found togetherness in each other and their religion. Immaculately dressed and behaved, the children were clearly a source of immense pride for the family.

“We have left behind so much misery that we are so happy to have been given this chance to start again,” Mrs S said. “The UK seemed like a mythical place to me before – it was completely unreal to us. Now I am here I am thankful for everything.”

Things were still tough for the family and psychological trauma was never far away, but hope for the future had alleviated some of that pain. The pastor also helped them with trips to London to see friends, which gave them connectedness to the wider community.

“We just want to make a happy life for our children now and try to move on with our lives. The people here have been so kind to us, especially the older generation, and we are grateful for that. Our boy is in nursery school now and we can really see a future for ourselves here. After what we came from it is hard to imagine where we are now,” she said.

From time to time the memories flood back and over coffee Mrs Song broke down, recalling her childhood and the nightmares that keep her awake at night. Her memories clearly shook her to the core, yet she remained strong.

“After what we have been through, we have no fear anymore; it is that which keeps us going,” she said.

It was at this point we had to leave and make our way back to London. The stories I heard will stay with me forever, yet the refugees cannot choose to pack up and leave them behind, as their past will follow them, wherever they go.

As the mobilisation against spending cuts gathers apace, as a society we must keep those deserving of support in mind. The moral test of a society is how it treats its weakest, and although we cannot all be a Pastor Kim, every little does help.

Links:

• If you would like to support North Korean refugees in China please visit here
• If you would like to support all refugees in the UK please visit here

The Libya Refugee Crisis

By: Dave Shortland
As the conflict in Libya rages on, the number of refugees produced has steadily increased. The UNHCR has called on the international community to step up to the mark by supporting the massive evacuation effort and providing asylum to the displaced, now numbering over 300,000.

On 1^st March 2011, Libya was suspended from the Human Rights Council – the first time this mechanism has been employed The Security Council has imposed an arms embargo and a travel ban, has frozen the assets of Gaddafi and his top officials and has referred the situation to the International Criminal Court. Security Council Resolution 1973 has condemned “the gross and systematic violation of human rights, including arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, torture and summary executions” and expressed “its determination to ensure the protection of civilians”. The reaction of the international community to this dire situation has been overwhelming and unprecedented in recent times. Without widespread and effective dedication to providing refuge to those directly affected by the situation, however, all the talk of concern for the Libyan people will seem impotent and superficial.
A crucial aspect of the international response must be in supporting the work of the UNHCR. Although the agency has been expelled from Libya, after claims by authorities that its work in the country was illegal, it has established a vital presence in Tunisia and Egypt to provide protection for refugees at the borders. However, the UNHCR is concerned that many people attempting to leave Libya are being trapped by the conflict. The agency reported on 15^th March 2011 that “people needing to flee combat areas and seek refuge are either unable to go or being prevented from doing so”. Internal displacement has also become rife. Nevertheless, UNHCR has been working tirelessly to provide shelter for many thousands of refugees. Amnesty International has reported that there are approximately 8,000 refugees and more than 3,000 asylum-seekers currently known to the UNHCR as being in urgent need of international protection. Amnesty point out that “the EU, in particular, bears a heavy responsibility on account of its failure in recent years to acknowledge and take into account Libya’s dire human rights record, and because of its efforts to seek the Libyan government’s collaboration in controlling migration to Europe.”
Caught in the middle of these events are the thousands of migrant workers in Libya, stuck and totally unprotected. Development organisation BRAC has called for urgent support for the tens of thousands of displaced, internally or as refugees, Bangladeshi workers affected by the conflict. Out of the 70,000 Bangladeshi migrant workers in Libya before the violence began, by 19^th March only around 20,000 have made it home. BRAC President Susan Davis said, “Donor support is urgently needed for these displaced migrant workers. The trauma they have experienced in the last few weeks may only be the beginning for some who face financial quicksand upon their return.”
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres has also outlined the grave danger in which sub-Saharan African migrants have found themselves. Many have been targeted by rebels as potential pro-Gaddafi mercenaries and have suffered brutal attacks. He told Al Jazeera, “There are hundreds of thousands of African workers in Libya and very few have shown up at the borders.” Guterres has also asked for international assistance with evacuation of foreign nationals stuck at the Tunisia-Libya border. He said, “These measures can only be taken with the strong solidarity of the international community and I would hope that countries would make their own resources available in order to allow for a massive evacuation to take place out of Tunisia.” There has been some very successful subsequent cooperation in this area which has helped to ease the scale of the overcrowding at the border. The UNHCR is bracing itself, however, for a worsening situation. Together with its partners it is planning for a massive outflow: “The plans are preparing for different scenarios and possible population influxes of 40,000 - 250,000 into Tunisia and 50,000 - 600,000 into Egypt, pending on future developments inside Libya.”
The UK was one of the ten states that voted for the UN Security Council Resolution 1973 on the situation in Libya and has taken a major role in the military intervention. Prime Minister David Cameron proclaimed, in the days leading up to the intervention, that the people of Libya must not be left to their terrible fate. It is now for the UK government to follow through on its commitment to Libya’s population by providing substantial support for the evacuation and protection of refugees. The scale of this exodus requires that the international community commit substantial financial support to the protection efforts in these countries and, of course, be ready to accept and protect asylum seekers. This will be a serious test of the UK government’s approach to refugee issues. We are all too aware of its attitude towards asylum seekers in our own country of late, but with such urgent and large-scale action required, we must push for far more than stirring speeches and declarations of solidarity.

Dave Shortland is a student at the University of London, School of Advanced Study, Institute of Commonwealth Studies working towards his Masters in Understanding and Securing Human Rights. He can be contacted at daveshortland@gmail.com