African Political Activists Stay At Airport For Five Months

JAKARTA - A Guinean man who claims to have fled political persecution achieved his first legal victory in Korea, securing the right to undergo a thorough screening of refugees and ending a five-month trial that left him stranded at an airport in the port city of Busan, South Korea, after being denied entry into the country.

The Busan District Court on Wednesday ordered the head of the Gimhae Airport Immigration Office to overturn the previous decision, which stated the man was not eligible for the screening of refugees.

Earlier, the Ministry of Justice in May ruled that a Guinean man in his 30s arrived in April and his name was not published did not qualify for the screening of refugees. Since then, he has been detained at airport detention facilities for those who have been denied entry.

"Guinea is a very dangerous place for political activists. I myself have been jailed twice," the man, who is a member of the opposition party, the Liberal Liberal Movement of Guinea, told The Korea Times, as quoted September 26.

"I decided to come to Korea after recently witnessing a change in government through peaceful protests, believing democracy there is strong and I can find protection here," he explained.

Guinea was ruled by a military junta led by Mamady Doumbouya, which has frozen several opposition parties and curbed protests and media freedom.

Convinced he would be granted refugee status upon arrival, the man said he was surprised when his petition was rejected before examination.

"The hardest part in the last five months is boredom, no communication, and no proper food," he said.

Meanwhile, Hong Hye-in, the lawyer representing the man, criticized the ministry's standard of examination as unreasonable and less transparent.

"The decision to refer to the case to the full screening of refugees must be made within seven days of submission," Hong said.

"It is difficult for someone who has just arrived in Korea after fleeing political persecution to gather and submit sufficient evidence in such a short time," he said.

He added that the system is intended to screen only those who do not have a clear basis, thus allowing most applicants to proceed to full review. However, he said, the ministry has effectively turned it into a final de facto refugee screening.

"My client's health recently worsened due to bad food," Hong said.

"Until I filed a complaint last week, he was only served hamburgers every day," he said.

When asked why the man's credibility was questioned, the Ministry of Justice told The Korea Times they could not disclose any details, citing Article 17 of the Refugee Act, which prohibits the distribution of personal information about refugee applicants.

When a non-Korean citizen submits a refugee status upon arrival at the Korean airport or port, the authorities first interview the applicant to decide whether there is sufficient reason for a thorough review, instead of immediately starting the screening process.

A source familiar with the case told The Korea Times that approval for entry is likely to be given soon.

"The court has decided to support it, and with media coverage highlighting the need to help the refugees, the appeal will be burdensome to the ministry," the source said.

On Friday, Hong said the ministry finally decided not to file an appeal, and the man eventually left the airport. He is expected to be placed in housing with the help of supporting organizations.

The Guinean said he was very happy with this week's court decision that benefited him and hoped to start a new life.

"I don't have a clear plan yet. After five months of trouble, I just want to get out of here for now," he said.

"I keep in touch with my wife and children, but it's hard to be happy when I'm so far away from them. I just want to see my family soon," he said.

This is not the first time an asylum applicant has been abandoned at Korean airports. From 2020 to 2021, an African man admitted to experiencing political persecution was 'detained' for 423 days in the Incheon International Airport transfer zone.

According to public interest group Duroo, citing government data, the percentage of asylum seekers referred for screening of refugees at ports fell from 59.3 percent in 2022 to 22.6 percent in 2024.

"This means that most applicants are filtered only based on documents, so it doesn't give them a real chance to review," said Duroo.

"The focus seems to be more on enforcing administrative decisions than refugee protection, thus raising concerns about justice and human rights," he said.