Concerns Raised Over Mandatory COVID-19 Testing Orders for Foreign Workers: "May Lead to Racial Hatred and Discrimination"

On the afternoon of the 11th, foreign workers were waiting to get tested for COVID-19 at a temporary screening clinic set up at a construction site in Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk. Earlier, Gyeongsangbuk-do issued an administrative order to proactively prevent workplace cluster infections, requiring employers with five or more foreign workers to have all foreign workers undergo COVID-19 testing by the 12th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jeong] There is growing criticism from various sectors regarding some local governments' mandatory COVID-19 testing for foreigners.

On the 28th, some local governments such as Gyeonggi and Gwangju issued administrative orders requiring foreign workers to undergo COVID-19 testing. These local governments also stated that violating the administrative order could result in prosecution under the "Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act" or claims for damages if the spread of infectious diseases occurs due to the violation. Seoul City also issued a similar administrative order on the 17th but withdrew it after foreign ambassadors in Korea, foreign chambers of commerce in Korea protested to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, calling it racial discrimination, and the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters of the Ministry of Health and Welfare joined in.

The reason cited by local governments for these administrative orders is the rise in COVID-19 infection rates among foreigners. The infection rate among foreigners, which was in the 2% range at the end of last year, has risen to the 6% range this year. Foreign workers living in densely populated factory and rural areas could become a "blind spot" for infections. However, not all foreigners residing in Korea live in group settings, and conducting mass testing targeting only foreigners has been criticized as a human rights violation. There are concerns that local governments might blame foreigners for the spread of COVID-19. Recently, incidents such as the shooting deaths of four Korean-American women in the Atlanta area of the United States have occurred, and xenophobia against foreigners is emerging again as a global phenomenon amid the economic and social crisis caused by COVID-19.

Criticism has also come from civil society and labor groups. The Seoul National University Human Rights Center stated, "The mandatory testing administrative order is a serious act of discrimination against foreigners and violates the constitutional right to equality," and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions raised their voices, saying, "This administrative order violates the dignity of humans and the principle of equality under the Constitution." The National Human Rights Commission pointed out, "Policies that exclude or segregate migrants lead to negative perceptions and discrimination against migrants and can lead to hate crimes based on race."

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