"Bring the Documents During Wartime"... Child Basic Rights Undermined by 'Discriminatory Administration' [Struggles of Raising Migrant Children]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Anna Kim (15), a Ukrainian national, came to Korea in April to escape the Russian invasion. She is living in Anseong City, Gyeonggi Province, with her Koryoin parents who were issued Overseas Korean (F-4) visas. She has been distressed for months as her transfer admission to the 3rd grade of middle school for high school entrance has been delayed. Although she submitted her Ukrainian middle school transcripts and graduation certificates translated and notarized in Korean, the local education office demanded that she obtain and submit a document from Ukraine abolishing the authentication requirement for foreign public documents. Anna’s side appealed, saying, "We could not bring all the documents during the escape process, and it is difficult to handle this task in a country at war." Other regional education offices have reviewed and placed students in similar situations in schools based only on passports and other materials.

Yeonju Park (38, female), a Korean naturalized from Mongolia in 2007, sighs deeply as she raises twins alone while suffering from postpartum complications. The children’s father is a Mongolian man who was forcibly deported in 2016. Park requested the granting of her husband’s residency status, but approval has not been granted for nearly seven years. Park lamented, "Even the investigator from the National Human Rights Commission said, ‘There are humanitarian reasons, but we cannot force the Ministry of Justice,’ and then asked, ‘But why don’t you stay in Mongolia with the father?’ which was embarrassing. I felt that my children, who are Korean, and I were not protected."

Children with migrant backgrounds living in Korea are exposed to various forms of discrimination in caregiving and learning processes. Experts emphasize that Korea, as a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, must fulfill its obligations and actively utilize this potential workforce to prepare for a low birthrate and aging society.

Shin Yoonjung, Director of the International Cooperation Division at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, said, "Currently, migrant-background children in Korea do not receive social security." In the report published this year titled ‘Problems and Policy Tasks in the Growth and Development of Children with Migrant Backgrounds,’ she stated, "The most direct impact of children’s migration experience on their growth and development is exclusion from the Korean public education system."

Song Inseon, CEO of the Gyeonggi Global Center, also pointed out, "First of all, entering public education is absolutely difficult without external help. Education administration staff are also inexperienced with related procedures."

Marriage immigrants, whose residency status is relatively stable, also face many difficulties in their children’s education due to language communication barriers and lack of experience and information about the Korean school system. According to the ‘2021 National Multicultural Family Survey’ recently released by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the university enrollment rate of children from multicultural families was 40.5%, which is 31 percentage points lower than the overall population (71.5%).

Korea’s ‘Child Welfare Act’ does not distinguish between nationals and foreigners in defining ‘children,’ prohibits all discrimination, and mandates that the best interests of the child be prioritized. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child also emphasized in its commentary that "children of migrant families and refugee households require special attention as they may face discrimination in early childhood welfare services, including childcare."

Director Shin said, "The start is to implement policies that do not work on the ground even if there are guidelines," adding, "It is necessary to eliminate blind spots through various projects prepared by local governments, such as care and learning support." She further stated, "We must support children with migrant backgrounds to grow into excellent human resources in a global society," and "The more important roles they play in society, the more public perception will change."