[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] A path has opened for foreign nationals of Pakistani nationality who suffered harassment such as kidnapping and assault by their families over marriage issues to be recognized as refugees.
According to the court on the 20th, the Seoul High Court Administrative Division 1-1 (Presiding Judges Shim Jun-bo, Kim Jong-ho, Lee Seung-han) recently ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed by Mr. A, a Pakistani national, his spouse, and their child against the Incheon Immigration Office Chief, demanding the cancellation of the decision denying refugee status.
Mr. A studied in South Korea as an international student and returned to his home country in 2016, where he met and promised to marry Ms. B. However, after facing strong opposition from Ms. B's family, he entered Korea and applied for refugee status. Mr. A and his spouse claimed that Ms. B was kidnapped and beaten by her family in their home country, and although Mr. A sought legal relief, the police officers who took bribes instead aided Ms. B's family.
Furthermore, Mr. A's side explained that Pakistan is the country with the highest rate of so-called 'honor killings' per capita, where women choosing their marriage partners without family consent is considered damaging to the family's honor and leads to murder.
Mr. A and his spouse have extended their visas in South Korea, are living as a married couple, and have even had children. However, they still suffer threats from Ms. B's family. Despite this, the authorities did not recognize Mr. A as a refugee, citing reasons such as his delayed refugee application, his job-seeking activities in Korea, and the fact that his relatives had applied for refugee status to extend their stay in the country.
Mr. A appealed this decision by filing an administrative lawsuit in June 2020. While the first trial court upheld the authorities' decision, the appellate court ruled in favor of the family.
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