North Korean refugees

China reportedly runs a rewards system for people who turn in North Koreans illegally living within the country’s borders. It also imposes heavy fines on those found supporting North Koreans.

In communist-ruled North Korea, which borders China to the southeast, freedom of movement, expression and association are severely restricted. Citizens face systematic human rights violations, including the rights to life and to food.

About 100,000 North Koreans are reportedly hiding in China, according to our 2006 statistics. During that year, Chinese authorities arrested and deported an estimated 150 to 300 people each week, though they never referred any case to the United Nations refugee agency.

Many North Koreans who are returned to their country under duress are at risk of torture, ill-treatment and imprisonment. Hundreds of North Koreans who have been forcibly returned from China remain unaccounted for.

Abuse of North Korean women in China is widely reported, including cases of systematic rape and prostitution. North Korean women are reportedly sold as brides to Chinese men for between A$938 (US$880) and A$2014 (US$1,890).