Special seollal of Malian family as refugees in Korea in 10 years

The family of Niuma Dukore, 35, from Mal in Africa, celebrates a special seollal or Lunar New Year’s holiday this year. It is the first seollal holiday they openly celebrate after being recognized as refugees in Korea for the first time in 10 years since they came to Korea. When this reporter visited a semi-basement home on monthly rent in Bogwang-dong in Seoul’s Yongsan district on Monday, Niuma said, smiling, “Now, if my children say ‘I will become a soccer player,’ I cheer them up in joy.”

Niuma, who entered Korea on tourism visa in 2004 to follow her husband who had come to the country earlier, was labeled an illegal alien thus far. In Mali where her other family members live, “Life was so difficult that we hardly knew what talking and having fun together is like due to a prolonged draught,” she said. Despite being Muslims, they would eat dumplings and japchae (noodle with vegetables and meat) in Korea without knowing that the dishes contain pork, and only recently stopped eating them after learning about it. Islam bans consumption of pork. Due to concern over crackdown on illegal aliens, she did not go outing beyond her village.

When civil war broke out in Mali in March 2012, she lost communications with her mother and younger brother. “I thought that if I am deported and return to my hometown, my family would be killed,” she said.

In April that year, the couple went to the immigration office and submitted application to seek refugee status here. After a waiting that lasted one year and nine months, they were accepted as refugees on December 17. “I cried all through the night. I was so happy, and could hardly believe it…”

She now has an alien registration card as well. Having the 13-digit alien registration card is “so wonderful that it is beyond description,” she said. When new influenza epidemic broke out in 2009, she visited a number of pediatric clinics and community health center to get her children vaccinated, they were denied because vaccination could not be offered to unregistered aliens amid shortage of vaccine supply. “While I was sitting in the lobby at the community health center, I constantly wept. It was so sad to know that even if my children are sick they cannot receive proper treatment.”

Her husband Muhammad Dukore, 44, who works as daily laborer, is reducing working hours these days due to back and shoulder problems. After paying rent worth about 400,000 won a month of about 1 million won he earns, the family has no choice but to live frugally to make ends meet. Nevertheless, the couple says, “We still smile all the time because we are so happy."

Niuma plans to have more festive celebration on next year’s seollal, because she hopes to give her children experience of genuine Korean holiday. “I will buy beef and cook tteokguk (rice cake soup). I will also make some jeon (Korean pancake). You know now we can have dining out on another day.”