Campaign to lead immigrants` active involvement in Korea

“Migrants who have come to Korea from many countries worldwide and settled here have joined hands. We will participate in society more proactively, and contribute to social integration as Korean citizens.”

The “Global Community Association" comprised of 15 immigrant organizations has been inaugurated. The organization has been launched in order to participate in the future of a global Korea by using diverse cultures and international networks. In her inaugural speech at the international conference hall at Seoul Global Building in Seoul’s Jongno district on Saturday, Mika Watanabe, the founding chair of the association, said, “We will generate synergistic effect in multicultural society through beautiful harmony like Orchestra performance.”

Immigrants in Korea have thus been recognized as an object who should receive assistance and attention. The government and society understood them as such, and immigrants from foreign lands have also kept such mindsets.

A movement has started to change such an environment as immigrants have now realized that they should overcome the practice of demanding or being demanded all the time, and instead participate in society through self-reliance and independence. The recognition among those people that they must be partners and key players in the nation’s development, rather than underprivileged class that burden Korean society, has been materialized as the Global Community Association.

Thus far, immigrant organizations in Korea have been independently engaged in activities as group of similar background (i.e. nation, race or religion). Due to poor sense of unity, they could not make unified voice. The Global Community Association is the largest body integrating individual immigrant organizations in Korea.

The shift of paradigm from “poor immigrants” into “proactive immigrants" is a global trend. Advanced countries are also implementing policy that encourages immigrants to become responsible citizens, rather than remaining underprivileged class who needs assistance from society. There is also fierce competition between countries to attract quality foreign human resources who will contribute more to national development, rather than laborers carrying out simple, dirty, difficult and dangerous work.

To this end, the Korean government has decided to instate a “Social Integration Fund for Immigrants” as early as 2015. The measure is designed to support an immigrant policy (Vibrant Republic of Korea that grows in harmony with global citizens) that it will implement from this year to 2017. Fees generated from immigration management and fines that foreigners pay are set to be spent to benefit immigrants. The U.S., Germany, and the U.K. also raise funds necessary for immigrants through fees levied on immigrants and fines in line with the “principle of payment by the beneficiaries.”