Heinn Shin, Korea spokesperson for the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR), says: “There are no fake refugees. That’s our message. This phrase stems from the fact that these Yemenis are male, young, flew to Jeju and carry iPhones. So it’s ignorance on the Koreans’ part. They don’t understand these people are fleeing persecution. You can be rich or poor but when a war breaks out, that doesn’t matter. There’s xenophobia, not against refugees but against Muslims. They also don’t understand Islamic culture. And the fake news about extremism fuels these fears.”
How many of these young, male, iPhone-toting “refugees” brought their wives and children? Or were their wives and children not facing the same persecution they were? And is all the concern about these migrants really fueled by “fake news about extremism”? Somali Muslim migrant Mohammad Barry in February 2016 stabbed multiple patrons at a restaurant owned by an Israeli Arab Christian; Ahmad Khan Rahami, an Afghan Muslim migrant, in September 2016 set off bombs in New York City and New Jersey; Arcan Cetin, a Turkish Muslim migrant, in September 2016 murdered five people in a mall in Burlington, Washington; Dahir Adan, another Somali Muslim migrant, in October 2016 stabbed mall shoppers in St. Cloud while screaming “Allahu akbar”; and Abdul Razak Artan, yet another Somali Muslim migrant, in November 2016 injured nine people with car and knife attacks at Ohio State University. 72 jihad terrorists have come to the U.S. from the countries listed in Trump’s initial immigration ban.
What’s more, all of the jihadis who murdered 130 people in Paris in November 2015 had just entered Europe as refugees. In February 2015, the Islamic State boasted it would soon flood Europe with as many as 500,000 refugees. The Lebanese Education Minister said in September 2015 that there were 20,000 jihadis among the refugees in camps in his country. On May 10, 2016, Patrick Calvar, the head of France’s DGSI internal intelligence agency, said that the Islamic State was using migrant routes through the Balkans to get jihadis into Europe.
But no, South Koreans who are concerned about the Muslim migrant influx are just “Islamophobes.” And I’m Theresa May.
“UN admits failing to educate Koreans on Yemeni refugee crisis,” by Faras Ghani, Al Jazeera, September 5, 2018:
Seoul, South Korea – More than 500 Yemenis have applied for refugee status on South Korea’s Jeju island.
The influx has provoked debate over how the country handles refugees, including an online backlash, a petition for the government to take action and protests on Jeju and the capital Seoul.
This also prompted the government to remove Yemen from the list of countries whose citizens are allowed visa-free entry to Jeju and to tweak its refugee policy.
A strong anti-refugee sentiment has been seen in South Korea, driven largely by Islamophobia, that analysts say is caused mostly by ignorance among the population and the prevalence of fake news stories.
Al Jazeera spoke to Heinn Shin, Korea spokesperson for the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR), about the causes of xenophobia, the government’s role in calming fears and rooting out fake news and why the agency is not at the forefront of helping these refugees.
…Al Jazeera: But why are there so many protests, discrimination and harassment of the refugees? Is the government playing an active role?
Shin: Comparatively speaking, Korea has a very young refugee history. It’s traditionally a very homogenous country so it’s not just about refugees or migrants. It’s about outsiders, non-Koreans in general. Korea is in a developing stage and UNHCR is supporting the government to play that role better….
Al Jazeera: What do you mean the government knew the public wouldn’t be open to refugees? Isn’t that an obvious case of xenophobia?
Shin: Korea is geographically at a long distance from refugee hotspots. Decades ago, we had a system to bring in migrant labour from different Asian countries and there was huge public backlash. As a Korean, I can say that Koreans are not open to the idea of opening up.
Al Jazeera: Is that a cultural thing? Or a lack of knowledge?
Shin: It’s a mixture of everything. But one unique thing about the Yemeni refugee situation is that it’s the first time Koreans got to think about Islam. In a way that’s a good thing. This will serve as a great chance for the public to understand Islam better.
It’s also very important that UNHCR plays a balanced role. There are certain things that the government can do better but it also has to reflect what the public wants. And for us to criticise what the government does could cause backlash, not against the government, but against the refugees. We provide support where necessary.
Al Jazeera: So the government’s decision to take Yemen, and other countries where refugees might come from, off the visa-free list, is reflecting public opinion then?
Shin: Yes, definitely. The Jeju government did that. There were concerns among the public, albeit based on wrong information. There were concerns not just about employment but also about security. There were lots of females talking about it so I do think the government had to take that into account.
Al Jazeera: These Yemenis were also branded fake refugees. What is a fake refugee?
Shin: There’s a refugee and not a refugee. There are no fake refugees. That’s our message. This phrase stems from the fact that these Yemenis are male, young, flew to Jeju and carry iPhones. So it’s ignorance on the Koreans’ part. They don’t understand these people are fleeing persecution. You can be rich or poor but when a war breaks out, that doesn’t matter. There’s xenophobia, not against refugees but against Muslims. They also don’t understand Islamic culture. And the fake news about extremism fuels these fears.
I don’t think any Korean who has ever met a refugee or a Muslim would be against them. UNHCR’s role should be trying to explain to the general public who these refugees are. And I’m afraid, UNHCR has failed in that role for many years.
And we’ve only just realised that. Because we had no idea, despite the country having 150,000 Muslims, that the public would be so cautious and concerned. And telling the government to choose between their rights or the refugees’ rights….
emma says
but isn’t south korea very far from neighboring muslim countries? If they were really fleeing war and persecution, why would they go to the other side of the world?
Trump is right to lower american donations to the UNHCR, all the donors to this agency with an islamic agenda, come from all christian countries other than japan, which itself takes no refugees.
gravenimage says
Good question, Emma.
South Korea is just another wealthy Infidel country for Muslims to invade.
SJ says
I certainly hope SKorea keeps them out of their country.
Joy d. Brower says
They need to follow the example – and, so far, anyway, the strength & sagacity – of Japan! “Keep the bums out!” is what Japan’s immigrant policy has wisely been. These pisslamic invaders – NOT “refugees!!” – are the bane of the world’s existence & defense! They bring nothing but TROUBLE wherever they go!!
dj says
“is that it’s the first time Koreans got to think about Islam. In a way that’s a good thing. This will serve as a great chance for the public to understand Islam better.”. See how islam spreads and how it’s shoved down people’s throats? Yeah you Koreans you need to learn and study islam now. How about getting refugees to make oh study Korean language and culture? Oh that would be racist and islamophobic. Islam does not integrate.It segregates and DIVIDES countries. Look at history. Islam started in ONE TOWN and now control almost 60 countries. Send the muslims to one of those 60 countries and leave the rest of the world islamic free thanks.
Hugh Fitzgerald says
Those 150,000 Muslims in South Korea are mainly the descendants of those Koreans who were converted by the Turkish soldiers who fought, as part of NATO forces, in the Korean War. That’s a most unfortunate legacy. It might have been prevented then, but no one was paying attention. Who gave aggressive Islam much of a thought in the 1950s? The Koreans, both Christians and Buddhists, ought to be carrying out campaigns of counter-Da’wa among those Muslims. Provide them with information about the Jihad verses in the Qur’an, the verses that call for “striking terror” in the hearts of Infidels, the command not to take Christians and Jews as friends “for they are friends only with each other,” the verse that describes Muslims as “the best of peoples” and non-Muslims as “the most vile of creatures.” Tell those Muslims about Muhammad consummating his marriage to Aisha when she was nine, the pleasure he expressed at learning of the murders of Asma bint Marwan, Abu ‘Afak, and Ka’b bin al-Ashraf, his ordering the torture and murder of Kinana of Khaybar. These things need to be emphasized, not just among those who are already Mss but those who might be tempted to convert.
gravenimage says
True, Hugh.
Guy Forester says
You could also try “For God so loved the world” as a starter, as opposed to the Allah that orders his followers to murder people.
There are a lot of muslims out there that would like to leave islam and would like to learn what the Bible teaches. Most inhabitants of countries with Islam as the official religion are denied this.
alex smythe says
Hugh: a small correction. Of the 150,000 Muslims in South Korea, roughly one-third of them are Korean citizens who are of Korean origin, plus a small number of naturalized foreign ones; the remaining two-thirds are foreign Muslims from various countries, many of them students, business people, factory or construction laborers, or spouses of Koreans (especially of Korean Muslims), and so on.
Koreans are right to have concerns about certain groups of people, and to have strict vetting laws for foreigners. About a decade ago, there was a Canadian man named Christopher Paul Neil who was working as an English teacher in South Korea, but during vacations, he’d go down to Southeast Asia (especially Thailand and Vietnam) and sexually abuse young boys there. He taunted law enforcement with a “swirly-faced” image of himself, but German police were able to “unswirl” it and reveal his true face. To make a long story short, Interpol put out a notice on him, so he left South Korea and surrendered to police in Thailand, where he eventually stood trial and received a prison sentence, before being deported to Canada.
As a result, South Korea introduced more stringent screening and vetting of foreign English-language teachers and other foreigners as well. However, it bears noting that Mr. Neil evidently didn’t have a prior criminal record anywhere, not even in Canada.
As others have pointed out, it *is* strange that most of these alleged Yemeni refugees were able to afford smart phones, as well as plane tickets to travel all the way over to Northeast Asia, instead of going to places in the Middle East that might be able to accomodate Shi’a refugees. Moreover, why haven’t they brought any women and children over with them? Very suspicious, especially since there was a recent attack on a school bus in yem that killed many young students.
Wellington says
There are indeed fake refugees from the Islamic world, from south of the Rio Grande and elsewhere, and to assert that there are not should immediately disqualify one as a person to be taken seriously. Ditto for anyone asserting that the term, “Islamophobia,” is a meaningful word, a term that has any worthiness.
The distortions and games continue and only fools or worse will think them not distortions and games. You can count on this.
ItsReallyQuiteClear says
This “no fake refugee” assertion is really quite easy to poke holes in.
The UNHCR defines a refugee as “…someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence”, followed by additional qualification about fear of, or inability to return home. UNHCR defines an asylum seeker as, essentially, a refugee who is seeking sanctuary in another country, and who “…must demonstrate that his or her fear of persecution in his or her home country is well-founded”.
Source: https://www.unrefugees.org/refugee-facts/what-is-a-refugee/
Eurostat asserts that “In 2017, nearly half (46 %) of EU first instance asylum decisions resulted in positive outcomes.” So, this implies that 54%, or a majority, of EU first instance asylum seekers are deemed to have not “…demonstrate[d] that his or her fear of persecution in his or her home country is well-founded”.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Asylum_statistics
Sure, some of those 54% of asylum seekers may be granted asylum upon appeal, but the 54% figure suggests that their cases for seeking asylum are not slam dunks.
Note also that the UNHCR, which is in perhaps in the best position of any agency in the world to know the difference between “refugee” and “asylum seeker” carefully avoided the term “asylum” in their assertion, because that’s a higher standard of “proof” than being a refugee.
Marina says
Jeju Island is a very beautiful place. But if the agency let these mudslimes in the island then it will become a trashy place and unfit for tourism. The Koreans should fight hard to keep these Yemenis out.
Emilie Green says
“They [Koreans] also don’t understand Islamic culture.”
I think that’s where he’s wrong. It’s precisely because the Koreans understand Islamic culture.
gravenimage says
Spot on, Emilie.
Guy Forester says
Actually, after the graphic and brutal murder of a South Korean business man in Iraq plus a few others, I think the local population has learned all they want to know.
Furthermore, I agree that this group of Yemenis are not fake refugees. They are actually holy warriors on a mission for Allah to convert infidels by peaceable or forceful means, either way is ok. Additionally, since most South Koreans are Buddhists, that makes them idolaters in the eyes of these holy warriors. That makes them targets for extermination.
Isn’t it interesting how Yemenis, hailing from one of the poorest countries on earth, cannot get too a neighboring Muslim country for safety and shelter. They had the money to get passports, cell phones, and airline tickets to South Korea.
alex smythe says
Guy: South Koreans are roughly a quarter Buddhist, a quarter Christian, and half non-religious (atheist or agnostic), with relatively small minorities of Muslims, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Shamanists, Raelians and so on (however, an overarching Confucian philosophy is important there, even though formal Confucianists are not large in number in the ROK). I understand your point though: violent Islamists among the Yemeni migrants (and who knows exactly what percentage that is; even 20 percent would mean 100 very dangerous people) would indeed view most South Koreans as undeserving to live (except for the Christians, who would just be lowly dhimmis to suck jizyah out of).
Indiana Tom says
A strong anti-refugee sentiment has been seen in South Korea, driven largely by Islamophobia, that analysts say is caused mostly by ignorance among the population and the prevalence of fake news stories.
Yes, it is always caused by ignorance and fake news stories, and never about the dark concepts of Islam or thier endless Jihad against the non-believers.
Joy DB says
AS BNI (Bare Naked Islam) says in its sub-head, “It’s NOT Islamophobia when they really ARE trying to kill you!!”
Peggy says
Nothing wrong with Islamophobia. Fear of Islam isn’t exactly unfounded.
There is every reason to fear Islam so if I’m accused of Islamophobia I can’t argue. I am terrified of Islam..
Even Islamohatred isn’t a bad thing.
So why are so many people scared of being called Islamophobic?
gravenimage says
UN refugee agency blames South Koreans’ concerns about Muslim migrants on “Islamophobia”
……………………..
Grotesque–not wanting to be raped and murdered or have your civilized society destroyed and replaced with brutal Shari’ah law is not a “phobia”.
More:
There’s xenophobia, not against refugees but against Muslims. They also don’t understand Islamic culture. And the fake news about extremism fuels these fears.”
……………………..
So is he saying that all 33,000+ reports of Jihad terror are all “fake news”? Ludicrous.
More:
I don’t think any Korean who has ever met a refugee or a Muslim would be against them.
……………………..
*Really*? What about these Koreans?
“4 South Koreans Die in Bombing at Fort in Yemen”
https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/world/middleeast/16yemen.html
And even though this story mentions a fort, there was nothing military about these Koreans. They were just tourists visiting old ruins when they were slaughtered by pious Muslims.
Toader says
Al-Jazeera should actively promote programs that accommodate Yemenis ‘refugees’ in the rich Arab countries .
StellaSaidSo says
Indeed. None of which has taken a single ‘refugee’.
This is the OIC-dominated globalist UN extending its pressure to yet another ‘host’ country.
kouldb says
I for one, am glad the Asians are starting to have to deal with “refugees” and immigrants for they’re very demanding of their rights & don’t think twice about accusing westerners of being racist when we want to limit the mass invasion of our nations by Asians alone. It’s funny though how when speaking of South Koreans, Japanese, Chinese etc, they don’t call them racists (even though that’s exactly what they are). They say they’re “homogeneous” instead. The truth is. Asians are one of the most racist demographics on earth. Along with the Africans (especially the South African blacks) & the Arabs. I jump for joy seeing the UN forcing it’s way into Asia as well. Let’s how they like being called racist & xenophobic for trying to keep their nations to themselves. So. Zero fuc*s given in this case. For living in Australia. I’ve had a gut-full of them too. They don’t assimilate or integrate anymore than the Muslims. They’re racist, xenophobic & treat Australians with disdain & contempt.
Guy Forester says
It is unfortunate that you have had such a bad experience in Australia. Overall, most Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Koreans, Filipinos, and Indonesians have assimilated quite well into the US. True they tend to have ethnic neighborhoods that have persisted longer than say the Italian or Irish ones, but overall they see themselves as Americans after a generation or two here. The 442nd RCT is a good example of how strongly Americans of Japanese ancestry saw themselves as Americans.
Despite years of discrimination and marginalization, Asian immigrants to the US have done well. But, the key is to let people in slowly and allow time for vetting and assimilation.
Mass migration is a failure and a recipe for disaster.
StellaSaidSo says
It is regrettable that your experience of Asians in Australia has been negative, kouldb. However, I think there are some important differences between Asians and Muslims in Australia that you may have overlooked. Asians are generally: employed, educated, polite, respectful of our laws, un-demanding, and non-violent. If they’re a bit aloof, who cares?
granddaddy says
If they want to migrate so much, let them go to North Korea. I’m sure they would be welcomed there. And best of all, they wouldn’t have to worry about being unemployed.
A_M_Swallow says
The South Koreans need to investigate the UNHCR for corruption. From the way it attacks good people and ignores bad ones I suspect they will find plenty. The Koreans may also find that a faction has taken over the organisation and is using it to camouflage military operations.
J.W.K. says
UN = USELESS NITWITS
J.W.K. says
UN=Useless Nuckleheads
Baucent says
Visa free travel from Yemen. That wasn’t clever of the Koreans.
Valley of the Bones says
Heinn Shin?
What’s with the fake Germanic-Chinese name?
His name is actually “Shin He In” when transliterated from the Korean script.
Shin He In? Well the lights are on but I don’t think there’s anyone home.
The main question -How much does he get paid to insult people with real Korean names?
Answer: Lots, and in American dollars.
KWJ says
The UN decides and places where refugees go. They bully countries that don’t want to take them and don’t want their culture affected nor do they want Muslims’ constant whining and demands, added crime, economic stress, etc. A Japanese official said that he was concerned about their culture.
The UN is anti-sovereignty. These are essentially invaders. The UN is heavily influenced by the OIC. Muslims migrating to countries where most of them don’t fit in and then they act like victims. The world is definitely going backwards. Success isn’t dependent on multiculturalism, of course, so it’s like mixing oil and water.