Centers for holding foreign nationals in Korea were found to have breached individuals’ privacy and human rights, a report by the national human rights watchdog said Monday.

According to the National Human Rights Commission, all foreign nationals at the centers -- which include refugee applicants and people waiting to be deported -- were prevented from having personal time at fixed schedules, except for three times a week for a one-hour workout and religious service time.

Under the law, centers housing foreigners are not be run as general detention facilities, however the people held there are not free to leave.

The report was documented based on the on-site inspection of facilities in three places: Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province; Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province; and Yeosu, South Jeolla Province.

“Such an environment can make them feel like they are being detained rather than protected,” the state-run organization said. “Various types of protective facilities should be considered for vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, children or patients.”

According to the commission’s analysis on the health records of the people held in the centers, 4 in 10 were found to have experienced mental anxiety due to the stress of living there. The longer they stayed in the facilities, the more they tended to suffer severe unease, it said.

As part efforts to secure the residents’ mental health, the watchdog recommended that the facilities introduce mental health programs.

The commission also pointed out the poor condition of the bathrooms.

The sound and odor from the toilets could spread to separate shower rooms due to structure issues, the report said. People also had to change their clothes in places where other people might see them, it added.

The report said children’s rights were also poorly protected. From January 2013 to April last year, 41 minors lived in the shelters. The NHRC said a 3-year-old had to stay in a center for three months because the child’s parents were caught violating immigration law.

In 2011, the United Nations advised countries to regard children’s rights as the top priority and to refrain from detaining children of refugees or asylum-seekers.

The watchdog also urged the government to ensure full Internet access in the facilities so that those inside could communicate with their families.

The commission’s survey showed that 64.3 percent of the residents wished to have Internet access.

By Lee Hyun-jeong (rene@heraldcorp.com)