The Katipunan ng mga Samahang Migranteng Manggagawa sa Korea (KASAMMA-KO) condemned the Suwon Central Police Station elements for arresting and detaining Armand (not his real name), a Filipino migrant, on April 18.

Police arrested Armand while attending the second hearing of his case against the company Seo Seokjae Co. Ltd. at the Gyeonggi Regional Office of the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Armand filed a complaint against the company to demand the release of his final salary and separation pay.

He was reportedly arrested in connection with undocumented workers at the request of a company owner’s relative who was also present at the hearing.

Armand has worked for the company for ten years.

According to KASAMMA-KO, this incident is part of the South Korean state’s widespread and systematic crackdown on undocumented migrants in their country. Armand’s arrest demonstrates the state’s disregard for the rights of migrants and migrant workers.

The unjust and inhumane crackdown on undocumented migrants emboldens companies to violate labor laws, abuse their workers—documented or undocumented—and suppress the right of migrant workers to express grievances, file complaints, or seek justice.

The International Migrants Alliance (IMMA) also denounced the unjust arrest and detention of Armand. They demanded his immediate and unconditional release and called for an investigation into the Gyeonggi Labor Office and Suwon Police for denying justice to the victim. The capitalist owner’s relative must also be held accountable for violating labor laws and assaulting Armand.

The South Korean government must protect–not punish–the fundamental rights of migrants and hold abusive businesses accountable. All states must implement the UN International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (1990). Countries like South Korea must stop treating migrants as criminals and implement programs to document them in accordance with international law.