Indian National Alleges Abuse During Deportation From South Korea
An Indian man has asked South Korea’s human rights watchdog to investigate alleged physical abuse during his deportation, including the use of duct tape over his mouth. The acting justice minister told lawmakers that using the tape was clearly wrong.
An Indian national has filed a petition with South Korea’s National Human Rights Commission alleging that immigration authorities physically abused him while carrying out his deportation in August.
The petition, submitted last Friday, alleges violations of the man’s bodily freedom and human dignity during his removal from the country on Aug. 27. His claims include that officers placed duct tape around his mouth, struck him on the cheek and choked him after he arrived at the airport for deportation.
Before his removal, the man had been held for about eight months at an immigration detention facility in Hwaseong, roughly 40 kilometers south of Seoul. Under South Korean immigration law, foreign nationals subject to deportation may be held at such facilities for up to nine months.
The allegations came under parliamentary scrutiny when Rep. Park Eun-jung of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party presented body-camera footage connected to the deportation during an audit of the justice ministry on Thursday. The footage had been submitted by the ministry.
In the recording, the man can be heard saying that he would not fight and would go voluntarily. An officer then appears to grab his neck and tells him to stop talking. The footage gave lawmakers a direct view of part of the enforcement process described in the petition.
Acting Justice Minister Lee Jin-soo responded during the audit by acknowledging that wrapping duct tape around the man’s mouth was clearly wrong. His statement addressed one of the most serious specific allegations raised in the case, while the petition now places the broader claims before the national rights watchdog.
The case raises questions about how force and restraints are used during immigration removals, particularly after lengthy detention. It also puts attention on oversight of officials responsible for transporting detainees from holding centers to airports and carrying out deportation orders.
The National Human Rights Commission is the institution asked to assess whether the conduct violated the man’s rights and dignity. The petition constitutes an allegation, and the available report did not state that the commission had reached a conclusion on the claims. Nor did it provide a detailed response from the immigration officers involved beyond the acting minister’s acknowledgment concerning the duct tape.