Forced Labour in North Korean Prison Camps
- Document number
- 1928
- Date
- 2007
- Title
- Forced Labour in North Korean Prison Camps
- Author/publisher
- Anti Slavery International
- Availability
- View/save PDF version of this document
- Document type(s)
- Research/Study/Analysis,
- Summary
- The flow of undocumented North Korean migrants into China started in the mid-1990s and continues today. The great majority of these migrants are not fleeing political oppression, but rather food shortages and severe economic hardship in North Korea. The South Korean Government’s survey of North Koreans who have settled in South Korea shows that over 60 per cent identified economic hardship as the prime motive for crossing the border. Similarly, in the interviews carried out by Anti-Slavery International for this research, 93 per cent of the North Koreans cite economic hardship as the main factor for leaving North Korea. In March 2007, the Government requested assistance from the World Food Programme (WFP) to address the issue of food shortages. The WFP estimated at this time that between one-third and one- half of North Koreans face a daily struggle to find enough food to eat. While food insecurity remains a critical issue, the cross-border migration of undocumented North Koreans into China will also continue. This is an issue of concern to Anti-Slavery International because those North Koreans who are caught while crossing the border or who are deported by the Chinese authorities are subject to forced labour in North Korean detention facilities.
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