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JEJU ISLAND, South Korea – Yemeni refugees who came to this island after fleeing the civil war at home find it difficult to integrate into the local society because false news and cultural differences stoke acrimony
The war has raged since 2015. Last year, 131 Yemenis sought asylum in South Korea, but this year the figure reached 552 in May, according to South Korean Ministry of Justice
"We just tried to escape the war and the massacre," said a 23-year-old Yemeni. Many Yemeni refugees are discouraged and hurt by misinformation in South Korea, he added.
The man, who left Ibb, his hometown, worsened in early May in Jeju, a temperate island on the south coast of South Korea. Before that, he had remained in Malaysia, whose official religion of Islam connects him to Yemen with a Muslim majority. But he was prevented from finding a job there, and faced discrimination against the Arabs. He was able to live for a year with money sent from his home, but "I heard that South Korea was hosting refugees and decided to come to Jeju," he said. said. "I had nowhere to go."
The outbreak of Yemeni refugees owes largely to the establishment of direct flights from Malaysia to Jeju in December 2017. In an effort to attract tourists, the island allows people from many countries to stay without a visa up to 30 days. But last month, the South Korean government added Yemen to a dozen exceptions
Most Yemeni exiles in Jeju are men because they are much more likely to be sent on the battlefield. They do not usually flee poverty and are dressed decently, but this very fact has led some to call them "fake refugees" because they differ from the shameful image that many associate with the term.
Unfounded rumors are also circulating on the Internet. anxiety. Some argue that the increase in sexual assault in Europe after some parts of the bloc began to accept more refugees, while others claim crimes by outsiders is on the rise in Korea's South
"Mothers with daughters warn them not to go out," said a woman who runs a cafe in Jeju. "I'm afraid there's more crime."
The Seoul government tried to control the situation. In addition to ending the Jeju visa-free entry for Yemenis in April, it limited the ability of asylum seekers to travel from the island to other parts of the country. country.
The tension with the people of Jeju accentuates. The South Korean government has provided for an exception allowing Yemeni refugees to work before the usual waiting period of six months after the end of their asylum application, thus preventing them from working, such as fishing boats. , livestock farms and
But those who do not speak Korean do not understand the instructions of their employers and tend to be ineffective in their work. On fishing boats, meals provided to workers are often raw fish, which most Yemenis do not have the habit of eating.
A Yemeni man employed in a restaurant is forced to work up until the morning and then sleep in the kitchen.
"I was shouted on it," he said. "I was not treated like a human being, it was unbearable."
Employers are also frustrated. Sometimes, Yemenis stop working to pray, and the lack of familiarity of the bosses with the language can make believe that they "hang out, do not work seriously". The dissatisfaction of both sides makes it difficult for refugees to find a job.
A cheap tourist hotel has become a sanctuary for Yemeni refugees, who learn by word of mouth and live together. They give about 2,000 won – a little less than $ 2 – a day for food and cook together in the kitchen, which guests are allowed to use.
Some South Koreans are supportive. "There are people who spin money, buy food or invite them to stay in an open room of their home," said the hotel manager. Christian and other organizations are also working to offer their support. But such efforts tend to be stifled by anti-refugee voices.
"I just want the civil war to end" in Yemen, said the 23-year-old Ibb. "Then I can go back and sleep peacefully."
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