Crackdown System Neglected Children… No Protection Was Provided  

During a crackdown operation by the Ulsan Immigration Office, a 5-year-old child was left at a shelter without their mother. Although a system existed, there were no practical protective measures for the child. Repeated neglect and indifference, what have we left for this child?

“It only took a day to break one child” 

“The child was crying, had a nosebleed, and kept looking for their mother.”
On June 11, Ms. A, an undocumented migrant woman from Cambodia working, was apprehended during a crackdown by the Ulsan Immigration Office in Gyeongju. The issue was that Ms. A had a young son. Ms. A's son, Mr. B (5), was at daycare and was only transferred to the shelter in the afternoon, but the child, confined in an unfamiliar environment without his mother, exhibited extreme distress. 

“The child's condition was very severe. Separation measures were eventually taken, but the child was already mentally breaking down.”
Mr. B is currently receiving temporary care at an acquaintance's home, but it is uncertain how long this arrangement can continue.

Loopholes in the Crackdown System for Undocumented Migrants

The Ministry of Justice's 'Temporary Release for Protection' system is intended to help children stay with their parents in such situations, but it did not function in reality. Ms. A applied for this system but was only informed that a decision could take up to three weeks.
During that period, the child was effectively left outside the system.

Thus, while legal procedures are ongoing, the child is excluded from care. Even if a system exists, if practical protection is not provided, it is no different from having 'no system'. A child breaks down much faster than legal processes.

“This is not a simple administrative failure”

Lee Chun-gi, director of the Gyeongju Migrant Workers Center, strongly criticized, stating, “Mr. B had reached his emotional and physical limits, and this constitutes child abuse and a violation of human rights.”
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) also condemned the crackdown, labeling it “barbaric human hunting,” and demanded, “The government must take responsibility for neglecting the child.”

Indeed, a similar incident occurred in Yangju last November. At that time, a 3-year-old child was left alone during a crackdown, and activists had to personally take the child to daycare. There is also a case where a pregnant migrant woman was deported without any protection after sustaining injuries during a crackdown, resulting in a miscarriage.

The repetition of such cases indicates that this is not merely a 'coincidence' or 'deviation', but rather a 'structural' issue.

Systemic Improvements to Reduce Harm Are Urgently Needed

Experts unanimously agree that the following systemic improvements are necessary:

• Shorten administrative procedures to expedite decisions for the Temporary Release for Protection system

• Link individuals subject to crackdown who have minor children with dedicated child protection teams immediately

• Regularly implement human rights sensitivity and child protection duty training for crackdown agencies

• Establish a minimal emergency protection system for undocumented migrant families

The law can be enforced through crackdowns. However, if the greater law—the principle of protecting human beings—is undermined in the process, we are merely left with “administration for the sake of results.”

“No one has the right to make a child cry”

This incident is not merely a tragedy experienced by one family. It serves as a mirror reflecting the question of “who are the system and administration for?”
The moment the mother disappeared, the child also disappeared from society. The law existed, but no one protected the child. The anxiety and trauma this child experienced will not easily heal with the passage of time.

Are we currently operating the system in a way that destroys someone's life?
So that children's cries are not repeated, now is the last chance to change the structure.