아시아 11/03/03 Migrant leader ‘can stay – for now’..Filipino trade unionist allowed to remain in Korea pending decision - John Won, Seoul

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Migrant leader ‘can stay – for now’

Filipino trade unionist allowed to remain in Korea pending decision

John Won, Seoul
South Korea
March 3, 2011

Michel Catuira of Migrants' Trade Union in front of the Seoul immigration office

The Seoul administrative court has temporarily suspended an immigration office order to expel Michel Catuira, the Filipino migrant workers’ union leader.

According to the judgement, Catuira will be able to stay in Korea until the court rules on his appeal.

The court agreed that “irreparable damage could be caused to Catuira if the order is executed.”

Catuira commented: “The suit is not finished yet. I will keep protesting against unfair treatment.”

The immigration office on February 15 canceled Catuira’s work permit and ordered him to leave the country because “he is not working now and the company doesn’t exist.”

Against that, Catuira, a legal immigrant worker, appealed to the court that “I legally obtained the work permits and reported it according to the law. The company was temporarily closed and it was clear that the business existed when I was hired.”

Andrew Kim Duck-jin, secretary general of the Catholic Human Rights Committee, said: “The judgement is highly significant since the court prevented the migrants’ leader from having to leave the country, unlike the previous cases.”

Also, he hoped that it will be a pointer to the court’s final ruling.

Catuira started work painting cars after he had come to Korea from the Philippines in January 2006. He was engaged in the trade union to help his friend who was dismissed unfairly in October 2007, and he was became president of the joint committee with migrants in Korea in July 2009.