A seminar for the representatives of the Korean community in St.Petersburg took place on November 20th in the St.Petersburg House of Nationalities. The seminar was held on the initiative of the diplomatic mission of the Republic of Korea in St.Petersburg with the participation of the Korean National Association, in cooperation with ADC Memorial, with the aim of protecting the rights of the Korean ethnic minority in St.Petersburg.
Representatives of ADC Memorial explained the activities of the organization to the participants of the seminar, as well as it’s successes in combating discrimination and protecting the rights of foreign nationals in the North-West region. The lawyers of ADC Memorial outlined the basic legal issues faced by foreign citizens upon entering and residing in Russia. Practical advice was provided, as well as written materials pertaining to how to correctly fill out documents, which public authorities to contact in any given situation, how to avoid becoming the victim of intermediary private firms, and which steps must be taken to obtain citizenship.
The wealth of experience of ADC Memorial’s employees in providing practical assistance to foreign nationals allowed them to highlight the most frequently encountered problems, as well as to help prepare against possible errors. The participants of the seminar expressed particular interest in the issue of obtaining citizenship, which the employees of ADC Memorial were able to explain both from a historical (in connection with the repression of the Korean people and measures for their rehabilitation), and contemporary legal perspective.
Participants of the seminar often brought up questions about practical problems, and were interested in legislative “innovations” related to migration policy. ADC Memorial offered to address specific problems in individual consultation and assistance, as well as a detailed analysis of any given topic of interest. Participants agreed to future meetings and discussions within the framework of cooperation, the beginning of which was successfully set.