Press Releases

Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (VA-11) a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs and the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on Korea, Congressman Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06), Senator Tim Kaine(D-VA), Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Representatives Jim McGovern (MA-02) and Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) sent a letter to urge the U.S. Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) David Perdue, to condemn the PRC’s forcible repatriation of North Korean refugees and to press senior PRC officials to uphold their obligations under the United Nations 1951 Refugee Convention and 1967 Protocol.

The letter calls attention to Beijing’s ongoing violations of international law through the forcible return of North Koreans fleeing persecution under the authoritarian Kim Jong Un regime.

“We write to respectfully request you to condemn the PRC’s forcible repatriation of North Korean refugees and urge senior PRC officials to recommit to protecting North Korean refugees by adhering to the principles of the United Nations 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol,” said the members.

The letter notes that the PRC has been a party to the Refugee Convention for more than four decades but “consistently violates the principles which protect refugees,” including the right to non-refoulement — the obligation not to return individuals to a country where they face persecution or harm.

“North Korean refugees are seeking safety from a brutal authoritarian regime led by Kim Jong Un, who has absolutely no respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms,” said the members. “Their safety and protection must be prioritized.

According to the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China, the PRC forcibly repatriated more than 600 North Korean refugees in October 2023 and roughly 200 more in April 2024. Many women and children are subjected to human trafficking, forced marriages, and sexual exploitation upon arrival in the PRC.

“Although the PRC is a party to the United Nations Refugee Convention, it continues to collaborate with North Korea to systematically and forcibly repatriate refugees — in violation of international law,” said the members.

Read the full letter here.

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