○ Migrant women facing language and cultural barriers alone now receive “one-stop support from crisis to recovery”
○ Approximately 1,700 consultations provided within 6 months of opening
– Providing protection, safety, and recovery support for migrant women who are victims of violence through tailored counseling in nine native languages

The Gyeonggi Province Migrant Women’s Counseling Center, which opened last August in Gunpo City to support migrant women who are victims of violence, conducted a total of 1,705 consultations in its first 6 months of operation.

The Center operates a comprehensive, step-by-step support system that spans from initial crisis reporting to in-depth native-language counseling, case conferences, referrals to legal, medical, shelter, and administrative institutions, and follow-up monitoring. Rather than providing simple counseling alone, the Center involves professional counselors fluent in clients’ native languages and interpretation and translation support from the outset to accurately assess incidents of violence and ensure that counseling reflects the wishes of the migrant women.

Multilingual services are provided in nine languages: Vietnamese, Chinese, Tagalog, Thai, Uzbek, Spanish, English, Lao, and Russian. The Center offers tailored assistance including legal consultation and litigation support for cases involving domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking, and dating violence. It also provides consultations regarding residency status issues, referrals for medical and psychological recovery, connections to emergency shelters and protection facilities, and practical information to support settlement in Korean society.

Of the 1,705 consultations conducted over the past 6 months, domestic violence accounted for the largest share (29.4%), followed by general legal consultations (10.9%), divorce-related cases (9.8%), and sexual violence (8.9%). A significant proportion of cases involved violence-related issues including sex trafficking, stalking, and dating violence.

In one case, a Thai national sought counseling in her native language after her marriage broke down due to her spouse’s neglect. She is currently proceeding with divorce litigation with legal aid support and also receiving assistance to extend her residency status to ensure stable legal proceedings. In another case, a Vietnamese woman struggling with psychological issues due to depression and menopause received support through participation in a rest-and-recovery travel program with her children arranged through the Center. Through these diverse cases, the Center is earning trust as a recovery-oriented institution that helps migrant women who have experienced violence or are in need of assistance not only survive crises but also rebuild their lives.

Inquiries to the Migrant Women’s Counseling Center can be made by phone (031-429-7919) or in person on weekdays from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Detailed information is available on the Center’s website (ggmw.or.kr).

“This year, we will continue to strengthen the community-based integrated support network with the Migrant Women’s Counseling Center at the core of our efforts,” said Kim Won-gyu, Director General of Gyeonggi’s Immigrant Society Bureau. “We remain committed to expanding our native-language counseling capacity and enhancing protection and recovery for migrant women victims of violence. This goal will be achieved through legal consultations by lawyers, operation of a legal support team, and close cooperation with related institutions such as the Women’s Emergency Hotline, Danuri Call Center, shelters, medical institutions, and police.”