A/HRC/7/20 page 16 54. The main impact of the situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on Mongolia relates to the influx of its nationals who have exited from the country in search of asylum. In recent years, there has been a continuing flow of these persons through a neighbouring country into Mongolia. Mongolia’s policy towards the group has been based upon humanitarian considerations, offering them temporary asylum prior to durable solutions. It has abided by the international principle of “non-refoulement” of those who seek asylum and has worked closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the process. In 2007, several hundred persons, originally from the country, sought protection and assistance in Mongolia and they are housed in various facilities before being processed for resettlement in the Republic of Korea. 55. From the angle of the country’s engagement with the international system which has bearing on the protection of those seeking asylum in the country, Mongolia is already a party to key human rights treaties and is now considering accession to the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its Protocol. It is also in the process of acceding to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children and against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air. 56. The Special Rapporteur notes commendable progress, since his previous visit, in regard to improvements concerning the facilities sheltering asylum-seekers. These facilities now offer more space and are better ventilated than in the past. The Special Rapporteur was informed by those who are sheltered at these facilities that they are well cared for and that they look forward to a new life in their final destination country. A recurrent pattern of the life stories of this group is that they left the country clandestinely, under dangerous circumstances, before making their way through a neighbouring country, and ultimately arriving in Mongolia in search of safety. Their reasons for departure from the country vary from political reasons, such as persecution and forced labour, to economic reasons, such as the quest for a new livelihood. 57. The majority of the group are women and some landed up in exploitative situations, such as forced marriage, before reaching Mongolia. Both male and female cases indicated to the Special Rapporteur that they had spent several years in the neighbouring country before seeking to leave the country. While some had been subjected to human trafficking, such as forced marriage, at times with children as a result of the union, others had taken up employment in the neighbouring country mentioned, although threatened with uncertainty due to their undocumented status, prior to moving to Mongolia. Nearly all cases that the Special Rapporteur witnessed stated that they had paid or promised to pay substantial sums to smugglers to help find their way to the Mongolian border. The sums demanded by the smugglers were around two to three and a half million Korean won, possibly with an additional “advance” sum. Several had left their families behind either in the country or in the neighbouring country where they had been forced to marry. They were afraid of the consequences of exposure of their identity, especially in regard to potential retaliation in the country against their families, and they expressed a strong desire for confidentiality. 58. On analysis, interestingly the flows of people from the country are often mixed or composite flows with a variety of motivations, with subsequent reasons for moving on after residing for a number of years in a neighbouring country, before finally heading to Mongolia, usually paying their way through a smuggler. Some come as part of small groups arranged by