YEMENI REFUGEES IN KOREA

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Mass petition for asylum by Yemeni refugees in Jejudo Island had caused a social uproar in Korea last year. Most of them were granted humanitarian sojourner permits, not refugee status, and had come to the mainland. Here's a look at how they are faring a year later.

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Mohamed is a Yemeni who has lost his mother in a civil war before entering Korea through Jeju in May 2018. Although he wasn't granted the refugee status, he obtained a humanitarian sojourner permit and made his way to the mainland. Since then, he has traveled all over the country to take one factory job after another. It was hard for him to hold onto even those factory jobs for an extended time because of the laborious 12 hour shifts. And now, he hasn't been able to find work for two months.

[Soundbite] MOHAMED(YEMENI HUMANITARIAN SOJOURNER) : "Something fell from the crane right next to me twice. I was afraid something might fall on me. Also, I couldn't work at a plastic factory because of the smell of the chemicals."

He suffered from language barrier and was scorned for being a refugee. But what torments him the most is the fear of deportation and the uncertainty of his stay that needs to be extended every year.

[Soundbite] MOHAMED(YEMENI HUMANITARIAN SOJOURNER) : "It's unclear whether the Korean government would extend my visa. Since I don't know Korean law, I'm afraid that I may inadvertently break the law and get deported."

Ashamsi, another humanitarian sojourner from Yemen, also has been jobless for over a month and scrapes by with the help of his friends. He says that the most difficult thing is not being able to see his wife and a two-year-old son he has left in Yemen. He couldn't invite his family to Korea because he wasn't officially recognized as a refugee.

[Soundbite] ASHAMSI(YEMENI HUMANITARIAN SOJOURNER) : "I miss my family a lot, especially my wife and son. I want to see them as soon as possible."

Out of 484 Yemenis that had requested for refugee status in Jeju a year ago, only two were recognized as refugees. Most of the 412 Yemenis who were granted humanitarian sojourner status came to the mainland to find jobs, while the 56 who failed to obtain any legal status have filed appeals and are waiting for the results in Jeju.