🚨 Unregistered Immigrant Children

Today Korean Social News for Beginners | 2025.09.01

0️⃣ Legal Status and Rights Issues for Kids Growing Up in Korea

📌 "We don't have a home country"… Life of unregistered immigrant children rooted in Korea

💬 Unregistered immigrant children born or raised in Korea without legal status face invisible barriers everywhere in society. In a reality where even getting a cell phone is difficult, children live restricted lives going only between school, home, and study centers. Many can't even take trips due to fear of immigration raids. Despite temporary relief measures introduced by the government, these children are still only classified as 'foreigners' and cannot get stable living conditions. Unlike the US, which has protected long-term resident children through the DACA program, Korea lacks proper institutional support.

💡 Summary

• Unregistered immigrant children are kids born or raised in Korea without legal residence status.
• They can get education but face serious limits in health insurance, jobs, housing, and other areas.
• Many call for comprehensive solutions like America's DACA program to be urgently created.

1️⃣ Definition

Unregistered immigrant children are children born or raised in Korea without legal residence status. Most cases happen when parents lose their visa or have no residence status from the beginning. These children speak Korean as their native language and are familiar with Korean culture, but legally they are only classified as 'foreigners' and face many restrictions.

Currently, about 20,000 unregistered immigrant children are estimated to live in Korea. Many of them were born in Korea and consider Korea their only home. These children can attend school but face big barriers when trying to go to university or get jobs after graduation.

💡 Why is this important?

• This is a major social issue directly related to children's basic rights and human rights.
• Children raised in Korea have limited chances to grow as members of society.
• Educational investment is blocked from creating social contributions, causing social loss.
• Policy development that meets international standards for children's rights protection is needed.

2️⃣ Reality and System Limits for Unregistered Immigrant Children

📕 Specific Difficulties in Daily Life

• Using basic social services is difficult. Main restrictions include:

  • Getting cell phones, opening bank accounts, and internet services are nearly impossible.
  • They can't get health insurance, so medical costs are high and they avoid using hospitals.
  • Using public facilities like libraries and swimming pools is uncomfortable when ID is needed.
  • Joining class trips or school excursions is difficult, making them feel left out from peers.

• They live with constant anxiety about immigration raids. Main realities include:

  • They minimize going outside and only travel between home and school to avoid immigration enforcement.
  • They are always tense because of the risk of forced deportation with their parents.
  • They have trouble freely socializing with friends due to worries about identity exposure.
  • They hesitate to use public services or ask for help, making them more vulnerable in problem situations.

📕 Structural Barriers in Education and Career

• Education rights are protected but future careers are blocked. Main problems include:

  • They can attend elementary, middle, and high school but can only apply to universities through special foreign student programs.
  • Even after graduating from university, getting jobs is practically impossible, making educational investment meaningless.
  • Job training and getting certificates are also limited, restricting skill-learning opportunities.
  • They are excluded from scholarships and student loans, creating heavy financial burdens.

• They struggle with social integration and forming a sense of belonging. Main realities include:

  • Even though they grew up as members of Korean society, legally they are only treated as foreigners.
  • Having different legal status from friends causes identity confusion and feelings of isolation.
  • Uncertainty about the future makes long-term planning difficult.
  • The unstable status of parents gets passed down to their children as a structural problem.

💡 Main Problems Faced by Unregistered Immigrant Children

1. Limited access to basic services: Cannot use basic life infrastructure like cell phones and bank accounts
2. Health rights violation: Medical access problems and high medical costs due to no health insurance
3. Career disconnection: Structural barriers in university admission and employment after education
4. Social isolation: Difficulty forming social relationships due to enforcement anxiety and identity exposure worries
5. Identity confusion: Ambiguous status of growing up in Korea but not being legally recognized

3️⃣ Government Response and Solutions Through International Examples

✅ Current Government Temporary Relief System and Limitations

• Temporary relief measures were introduced but fundamental solutions are lacking. Main current status:

  • Since 2023, temporary residence permits have been given to unregistered children meeting certain requirements.
  • Children who have lived in Korea for 5+ years and are attending elementary, middle, or high school are eligible.
  • Being limited to temporary measures, it cannot guarantee long-term stability.
  • Concerns are raised that parents' risk of enforcement may increase during the application process.

• Some support programs are being conducted at the local government level. Main contents include:

  • Some local governments like Seoul provide medical cost support and counseling services.
  • Educational support and life counseling are provided in cooperation with civil society groups.
  • However, lack of legal basis limits the scope and continuity of support.
  • There are big regional differences since there are no consistent nationwide policies.

✅ US DACA System and International Best Practices

• America's DACA system is a policy model worth referencing. Main features include:

  • This system introduced in 2012 provides deportation relief and work permits to unregistered children meeting certain requirements.
  • It targets people who entered the US before age 16 and are currently under 31.
  • Those with no criminal record who received education or served in the military can apply.
  • It operates through renewal every 2 years, with hundreds of thousands receiving benefits.

• Policy examples from other countries also need to be referenced. Main examples include:

  • Germany operates settlement support policies considering children's residence period and level of social integration.
  • Canada provides permanent residence paths for long-term resident children through humanitarian consideration.
  • Netherlands grants temporary residence permits to unregistered children meeting certain requirements.
  • All these countries pursue policies prioritizing children's rights and social integration.
  • Korea also needs to prepare comprehensive policies meeting international standards.

4️⃣ Related Terms Explanation

🔎 Immigration Control Act

• The Immigration Control Act is the basic law regulating foreigners' stay in Korea.
  • The Immigration Control Act is a law that regulates matters concerning immigration control of all people entering or leaving Korea and foreigners staying in Korea. It was enacted in 1963 with the purpose of ensuring legal residence of foreigners and preventing illegal residence.
  • According to this law, foreigners must enter with valid passports and visas, and must follow residence periods and residence qualifications. If violated, they may face measures like forced deportation or departure orders. Parents of unregistered immigrant children are often classified as illegal residents under this law.
  • However, this law makes exceptions for children's education rights, allowing elementary and secondary education even in unregistered status. But there are no separate regulations for career or social participation after education, showing limitations.

🔎 Framework Act on Education

• The Framework Act on Education is a law guaranteeing all citizens' right to receive education.
  • The Framework Act on Education is the basic law in education that regulates citizens' rights and duties regarding education, and responsibilities of the state and local governments. It was enacted in 1997 and presents basic ideals and directions for education.
  • Article 3 of this law states "All citizens have the right to learn throughout their lives and receive education according to their abilities and aptitudes." Article 4 states "All citizens shall not be discriminated against in education based on gender, religion, belief, race, social status, economic position, or physical conditions."
  • The Korean government provides elementary and secondary education opportunities to unregistered immigrant children based on this principle. However, there are interpretation controversies about the scope of education rights guarantee for foreign children due to the expression "citizens," requiring clearer legal basis.

🔎 DACA System

• The DACA system is America's policy to protect unregistered immigrant children.
  • DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) is a policy introduced by the Obama administration in 2012 that provides deportation relief and work permits to undocumented immigrants who entered the US as children. It is a relief measure for those called "Dreamers."
  • Eligibility requirements include entering the US before age 16, currently being under 31, and continuously residing since 2007. Also, they must have graduated high school or served in the military, and have no serious criminal record. If approved, deportation is deferred for 2 years and work permits are received.
  • About 800,000 people have received benefits from this system so far, with many graduating from universities and working in professional jobs, contributing to American society. Voices are growing in Korea calling for similar system introduction to guarantee rights of unregistered immigrant children.

5️⃣ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Can unregistered immigrant children go to university in Korea?

A: It's possible through special foreign student programs but there are many restrictions.

• Since unregistered immigrant children are legally foreigners, they can enter universities through special foreign student programs. However, there are several practical difficulties. First, special foreign student programs have higher competition rates and fewer selection spots than general programs, making admission difficult. Second, tuition is often more expensive than for regular students, with limited scholarship opportunities. Third, getting student loans is difficult, creating heavy financial burdens. Fourth, employment is practically impossible even after university graduation, reducing the meaning of educational investment.
• Some universities run special support programs for unregistered immigrant children, but overall the situation is very limited. Fundamentally, systematic improvements are needed to give these children stable residence status so education and employment can be connected.

Q: How do other countries solve the unregistered immigrant children problem?

A: Each country pursues policies prioritizing humanitarian consideration and social integration.

• Many countries around the world take humanitarian approaches to unregistered immigrant children. First, America's DACA system is the most representative example, deferring deportation and allowing employment for those meeting certain requirements. Second, Germany provides settlement opportunities for long-term resident children and families through the 'Residence Rights Strengthening Act'. Third, France operates policies giving temporary residence permits to unregistered children receiving education. Fourth, Canada provides permanent residence opportunities for children in special situations through the Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) program.
• The common point of these countries is prioritizing children's rights and social integration. Rather than only looking at legal status, they consider actual living foundation and social contribution potential when making policies. Korea also needs to develop more inclusive and humanitarian policies by referencing these international best practices.

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