The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) building in Seoul / Courtesy of NHRCK
The state human rights watchdog recommended that foreign nationals held in immigration detention who require surgery be allowed to receive surgical treatment at outside hospitals, saying the failure to provide appropriate care amounts to a human rights violation.
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea said Friday it recommended to Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho that immigration detainees needing surgery be given access to outside hospitals, following two complaints filed in January.
In the first case, a petitioner acting on behalf of a detainee at an immigration detention center alleged that the center director had neglected to provide appropriate care for the detainee's toe and finger injuries, which required surgery.
In the second, a detainee at the same facility filed directly with the commission, alleging the center had failed to provide appropriate medical care for a knee injury requiring surgery.
