"Help the Undocumented Immigrant Who Saved the Lives of Over 10 Koreans" National Petition Emerges

Petition related to Ali posted on the Blue House National Petition Board [Source - Blue House National Petition Board]

[Asia Economy Reporter Shinwon Yoon] A national petition has been posted requesting help for Ali (28), a Kazakhstan national who was injured while evacuating and rescuing residents at a fire scene but was revealed to be an undocumented immigrant during treatment and is now set to leave Korea.

On the 21st, a petition titled "An undocumented immigrant who saved 10 people from the flames?shouldn't he be given permanent residency instead of deportation?" was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board.

The petitioner stated, "Ali reportedly evacuated about 10 residents when a fire broke out last month in a three-story one-room building in Yangyang, Gangwon Province, and he himself suffered burns," adding, "If an undocumented immigrant contributed to saving about 10 Koreans, shouldn't the state compensate him?"

They also cited a case in France where a young undocumented immigrant who saved a citizen was granted permanent residency, saying, "Ali is reportedly facing deportation, but deporting such a young man would be an international embarrassment," and "I believe the government should verify Ali's status and, if there are no issues, provide compensation by granting permanent residency or extending his work visa."

In fact, in France, there has been a case where an undocumented immigrant who saved a child hanging from a railing was granted legal permanent residency and was able to be specially recruited as a firefighter.

Moreover, on the Yangyang County internet homepage free bulletin board, about 10 posts related to Ali have been uploaded as of today. These posts mainly call for helping Ali, who saved people at the fire scene despite being an undocumented immigrant.

Previously, on the 23rd of last month at 11:22 p.m., while returning home after meeting a friend, Ali discovered a fire in a three-story one-room building in Yangyang-eup, Yangyang-gun, Gangwon Province, where he lived, and evacuated about 10 residents by going up and down the stairs.

He suffered second- to third-degree burns on his neck and hands while trying to rescue a woman on the second floor but could not receive proper treatment due to his undocumented status.

Fortunately, after this situation was discovered late, with the help of neighbors including Vice Principal Seonok Jang of Sonyang Elementary School in Yangyang, Ali received treatment at a specialized burn hospital in Seoul. However, during this process, he voluntarily reported his undocumented status, and since this report is based on the premise of departure, Ali must leave the country on the 1st of next month.

Ali is known to have entered Korea in 2017 on a tourist visa and has been supporting his parents, wife, and two children in his home country by working at construction sites and moving between monthly rental rooms.

Vice Principal Jang, who helped raise about 7 million won collectively with residents to support Ali’s treatment and applied to Yangyang County for his designation as a person of merit, said, "The building that caught fire is right next door to where I live, and after hearing about Ali’s situation, I felt very sorry," adding, "I hope the state helps Ali to stay longer in Korea."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.