Homeless evicted from Incheon Airport during heatwave amid inadequate city support

Homeless individuals seeking refuge at Incheon International Airport faced eviction during a severe heatwave, with one resident, identified as 'A,' compelled to move to Seoul after receiving an eviction notice for his belongings. The airport authorities posted notices warning that abandoned items could be disposed of and that non-compliance with eviction requests could lead to fines or detention.

This situation highlights a critical gap in Incheon's support system for the homeless. The city currently lacks a comprehensive support center, which would typically provide integrated services like street counseling, medical assistance, and referrals to welfare facilities. While temporary shelters exist, they are often inadequate, with street counseling occurring infrequently and facilities like gosiwons being substandard, deterring many from using them.

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I thought they could have given us more time to pack our belongings before evicting us homeless people.

Advocates from Homeless Action criticize the current approach as a temporary fix, arguing that infrequent street counseling cannot effectively assess the needs of the homeless population. They point to budget constraints as a primary reason for the lack of specialized services, citing past discussions where the city deemed the cost of establishing a comprehensive support center prohibitive given the estimated number of homeless individuals.

Homeless Action plans to hold a press conference at Incheon Airport to demand an end to forced evictions and urge the Incheon city government to establish proper public support systems. The eviction of vulnerable individuals during extreme weather conditions underscores the urgent need for more robust and accessible social services.

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It's hard to believe that it's possible to confirm the services homeless people need through street counseling only once or twice a month.