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North Koreans fleeing to China must be given refugee rights
February 19, 2003 12:00 AM
Baroness Sarah Ludford, MEP for London and Liberal Group justice spokeswoman in the European Parliament has pressed the European Commission and the Council of Ministers to do more to guarantee the rights of North Koreans seeking asylum in China.
Baroness Ludford said:
"North Korea is a thoroughly unpleasant and repressive regime with an absolutely deplorable human rights record."
"Many of the thousands of North Korean refugees who have clandestinely crossed the border into China in recent years undoubtedly have genuine asylum claims".
"China is wrong to consider these refugees automatically as economic migrants and 'illegal immigrants'. Its policy of forcibly repatriating North Koreans to uncertain fates in their country of origin, including imprisonment, torture and even summary execution is clearly in contravention of China's international commitments on the status of refugees".
She added:
"Europe must do more to ensure that China abides by its commitments and treats asylum seekers properly according to the Refugee Convention. The Commission has assured me it continues to press the Chinese authorities but I have yet to get a reply from the Council."
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