It was recently confirmed that Chinese authorities forcibly repatriated 30 North Korean defectors. According to the NK Times on the 15th, a senior official in the Dandong City Public Security Department in Liaoning Province, China, reported that 30 North Korean defectors who had been imprisoned in the Dandong City Immigration Detention Center were forcibly repatriated to North Korea last week.
It is reported that the North Korean defectors repatriated this time include women who were trying to head to South Korea and those who have completed rehabilitation after being trafficked.
The source said, “Most of those being repatriated to North Korea are those attempting to go to South Korea or those who have committed serious crimes such as drug or human trafficking,” adding, “Recently, those arrested while trying to go to South Korea and those who have completed their sentences for criminal acts are being repatriated directly to North Korea. “He said.
He added, “Now, rather than holding on to (North Korean defectors) for as long as before, we are sending them (forcibly repatriated to North Korea) in coordination with North Korea when the number of people reaches a certain level. I understand that another team is scheduled for the end of this month or early next month.” .
Meanwhile, a source inside North Korea reported on the 15th that North Korean defectors who were repatriated to North Korea are being sent directly to reeducation centers without an inspection process at the border as soon as they arrive in North Korea.
This is in accordance with Chairman Kim Jong-un’s policy in April 2024, and is said to be sending North Korean defectors immediately to correctional centers rather than interrogating them at the border.
Previously, this paper reported that 20 North Korean defectors who were forcibly repatriated to North Korea by the Chinese authorities last May were transferred to a correctional center two days after being repatriated to North Korea. (Related article: Residents forcibly repatriated to North Korea were transferred to a correctional center after two days… family not notified)
This policy is intended to prevent related information from being leaked to the outside world while North Korean defectors are being investigated at the border, and is intended to minimize traces of forced repatriation by North Korean authorities and prevent related information from becoming known to the outside world. The source said.
***This article was translated by Google and may differ from the content of this article.
