In a blistering report released earlier this week, Amnesty International revealed the brutal treatment of the refugees by Chinese security forces and their own government.
Since 1994, mass starvation has caused hordes of hungry North Koreans driven by critical food shortages to seek refuge in China despite the harsh penalties they could face for illegally leaving their homeland.
According to Amnesty International, it is against North Korean law to leave the country without permission. The penalty for doing so can be anything from seven years' imprisonment to execution.
But once in China, instead of finding a safe haven, many of the refugees have endured brutal treatment at the hands of Chinese security officials, the report states.
"Although China is a party to the Refugee Convention, many North Koreans are forcibly returned to North Korea where they risk serious human rights violations, including imprisonment in harsh conditions, torture and the death penalty," according to the report.
The organization called upon North Korean authorities "to ensure that no one is persecuted if forcibly returned" and "to amend provisions in the criminal code in accordance with international human rights standards so that people are free to leave the country."
It also urges Chinese authorities to make sure that the refugee rights of North Koreans are protected and calls upon the international community to "raise these concerns with both the Chinese and the North Korean authorities."
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