See also: Refugees and asylum seekers on the situation and conditions of refugees and asylum seekers in Japan
Japanese government drops bill to revise immigration law amid opposition The government decided Tuesday to withdraw a bill revising rules on how to accommodate foreign nationals facing deportation, ruling coalition lawmakers said, amid criticism over the alleged improper treatment of a Sri Lankan woman who died while held at an immigration facility. Japan Times, 18 May 2021
Proposed immigration law revision sparks debate A controversial draft revision to Japan's immigration law has sparked fierce debate among lawmakers. It would change rules on detaining foreign nationals facing deportation orders. NHK World, 14 May 2021.
Japan’s Changing Immigration and Refugee Policy This article considers different views on the recent proposed changed to the immigration law, the history of japan's refugee policy, its current strict acceptance policy and conditions in detention for asylum seekers and migrants. The Diplomat, 12 march 2021.
Foreigners in fear of Japan's immigration proposals Foreign communities in Japan, and their local supporters, are calling for lawmakers to scrap proposed changes to the country's immigration law. The revisions, which critics describe as inhumane, involve the forcible deportation of asylum-seekers who fail to prove a case to stay as refugees. NHK World, 1 May 2021.
Japan’s immigration policy under scrutiny This article and a video that is included with it looks at criticisms of japan's very strict policy on acceptance of refugees and it use of detention for asylum seekers and undocumented migrants. NHK World, 27 Nov 2020.
No country for refugees? Japan and South Korea's tough asylum policies This article looks at refugee acceptance policies in Japan and Korea from an Australian perspective and argues that these wealthy East Asian countries have put economic development ahead of protecting human rights in their policies on refugees and immigration. DW, 4 Nov, 2014
Refugee recognition is overly slow, opaque, panel tells Justice Ministry "Japan should clarify the criteria it uses to recognize refugees and set up safeguards to protect vulnerable applicants who fall short of the definition, an advisory panel told the Justice Ministry on Friday. Japan Times, 26 Dec, 2014.
Justice Ministry unveils eased refugee-recognition criteria but critics quick to cry foul "Japan will ease its rigid criteria for recognizing people as refugees while boosting efforts to detect bogus or unqualified applicants, the Justice Ministry said Tuesday in what it is touting as a systemic overhaul." This article looks at the new plans for refugee acceptance made by the Ministry of Justice, and criticisms of them, based on the report of the advisory panel explained in the story above. Japan Times, 15 Sep 2015.
Yukie Osa and Shogo Watanabe: "Refugee Crisis and Japan" This recent video, especially Shogo Watanabe's contribution, explains very well the Japanese government's policy on refugee acceptance and reasons why the government rejects so many refugee application. The video is in both English and Japanese. Shogo Watanabe is a graduate of Chuo Law Faculty who has supported asylum seekers, refugees, and migrant workers in Japan in many legal cases. Foreign Corespondants Club, 2 Oct, 2015.
Welcoming refugees to fill labor shortages Michael Lindenbauer, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees representative in Japan asks if Japan should accept more refugees as an answer to its lack of workers. Japan Times, 18 Aug, 2014.
Prospects better for refugees in Japan, but still need support This article looks at the lives in Japan of some refugees and asylum seekers who have entered universities or have started working at companies, as universities and companies like Uniqlo have started opening up to refugees. But refugees also continue to face problems and the article also looks at the work an NGO that provides educational support for refugee children. Asahi Shinbun, 14 Oct, 2012.
Firms giving refugees jobs instead of charity With applications for refugee status reaching record levels, a number of Japanese businesses are providing employment and training to people forced to flee their home country due to war and persecution, with emphasis on genuine vocational opportunities rather than charity. Japan Times, Oct 25, 2013.
2016年度難民高等教育プログラムについて/About Refugee Higher Education Program 2016 UNHCR, Kwansei Gakuin University (KGU), Aoyama Gakuin University (AGU), Meiji University (MU), and Tsuda College (TC) are mutually committed to providing high quality education in specialist fields to facilitate the development of refugees in Japan into people who can contribute to the peace-building and social development of Japan, their countries of origin, and international society in the future.
Q&A: Japanese clothing retail giant helps refugees in unique ways An article about Uniqlo's internship program for refugees who are students in Japan, as well as a project to provide clothes to refugees in co-operation with UNHCR. 18 Mar 2012.
Country Fact Sheet - Japan A short overview of the refugee resettlement program in Japan, discussions on alternatives to detention of asylum seekers, and the rate of acceptance of claims by asylum seekers for refugee status. Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network
Abe touts immigration, but refugees get shunned This article by Jeff Kingston focuses on the fact that although the Japanese government is considering a large increase in immigration, it has reduced the numbers of asylum seekers already in Japan that it gives refugee status to and allows to stay permanently. The article considers why the numbers of asylum seekers in Japan are rising, why the government is accepting fewer refugees and the effects of this on civil society groups supporting asylum seekers and refugees. Japan Times, 7 Jun, 2014.
Japan is obliged to accept refugees, so why so few? As a signatory to international conventions on the acceptance of refugees, Japan is obliged to give refugees due recognition and protect their basic human rights. However, human rights organizations have long criticized the government for the low number of people Japan recognizes as refugees, and the lack of transparency and objectivity in its recognition process. Although quite old, this Q&A about refugees and refugee policy in Japan is still a good overview of the issue. Japan Times, March 13, 2007.
Two men die at immigration center Two detainees at an immigration center in Ushiku, Ibaraki Prefecture, died over the weekend, an official said Monday, just months after the death of another man at the same facility. Japan Times, Mar 31, 2014.
Nation fails to make most of refugees: Driven to excel, asylum seekers key to economic growth, journalist says Refugees in Japan are acutely underutilized and the nation should stop turning a blind eye to their skills and potential if it wants to generate economic growth, according to freelance journalist Kaoru Nemoto. She used to work at the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, and argues that Japan must change its traditionally insular mindset and unwillingness to accept asylum seekers. Japan Times, May 10, 2013.
Firms giving refugees jobs instead of charity With applications for refugee status reaching record levels, a number of Japanese businesses are providing employment and training to people forced to flee their home country due to war and persecution, with emphasis on genuine vocational opportunities rather than charity. Japan Times, Oct 25, 2013.
Editorial: Refugees in Japan Last summer the government showed some willingness to increase the number of applicants it would consider, but did not say exactly what it would do. Substantial improvements are greatly needed.Japan Times, Oct. 12, 2008.
Scant welcome for refugees in Japan This story looks at the experiences of asylum seekers [people wanting to be accepted as refugees by another country] in Japan, especially the finiacial difficulties they face, as well as at why Japan accepts so few refugees and whether this may change with the election of a new government in 2009. BBC News, 18 November, 2009.
Refugee resettlement program planned for those fleeing conflict Taking steps to accept more foreign refugees, Japan will introduce the so-called third-country refugee resettlement program as early as fiscal 2010, becoming the first Asian country to do so, according to government sources. Under the program, Japan will accept refugees who flee their conflict-stricken home countries to nearby states but find it hard to resettle. Japan Times, Aug. 23, 2008.
Website of the Japan Association for Refugees.
Attitude of Japan towards foreigners The second part of this article looks at the low numbers of refugees accepted by Japan and asylum seekers living in Japan compared with other countries. Japan Reference.
Refugees (most recent) by country Data on the total numbers of refugees living in 110 different countries (Japan is number 80 on the list). The data is for 1990-1999. Nationmaster.
Refugees (per capita) (most recent) by country Data on the numbers of refugees per 1,000 people in 110 different countries (Japan is number 101 on the list). The data is for 1990-1999. Nationmaster.
Asylum seekers acceptance rates: 1990-99 (most recent) by country % of asylum seekers accepted between the years 1990 and 1999, 18 countries (Japan is 18th on the list). Nationmaster.
Questioning Japan's 'Closed Country' Policy on Refugees "It is now more than twenty years since Japan's 1981 ratification of the 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. Yet, at a time when refugee policy is becoming an issue of intense controversy worldwide, Japan continues to take a relatively restrictive approach to accepting asylum seekers. In this article, journalist Isozaki Yumi looks at recent developments in Japan's refugee policy, and in particular at the contentious issue of the treatment of Afghan asylum seekers in Japan." Japan in the World, 20 August 2002.
Human chain draws attention to plight of detained foreigners Hundreds of people protested to the Ministry of Justice about the plight of more than 1,000 foreigners, including asylum seekers held at detention centers across the country. Human rights lawyers and campaigners in Japan have protested over what they describe as undue, lengthy detention periods faced by these foreigners and called on the Justice Ministry to create a more open and multicultural society, with particular regard to the interests of asylum-seekers. Japan Times, Oct. 14, 2004.
Suit seeks to nix deportation order that will split up family A Turkish Kurd, his Filipino wife and their 3-year-old Japan-born daughter have filed a lawsuit seeking to reverse the Justice Ministry's decision to deport them over visa violations. The suit was filed Friday at the Tokyo District Court by lawyer Takeshi Ohashi, who is acting on behalf of the plaintiffs because the couple are being detained by the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau. Japan Times, March 17, 2004.
Court upholds family's deportation order: Kurd dad must return to Turkey; mom and Japan-born girl go to Philippine The Tokyo District Court dismissed a lawsuit Friday by a Turkish Kurd, his Filipino wife and their 6-year-old daughter seeking to reverse a deportation order for overstaying their visas. Taskin, his wife, Beltran, and their daughter, Zilan, were asking for special residency permits as the couple have lived here for more than a decade and the girl was born and raised here....Taskin is also waiting for a decision on his fourth appeal for refugee status, saying he faces arrest or torture if sent back to Turkey. Japan Times, March 24, 2007.
See the article below for an update on this story.
Kurdish man, Filipino wife granted special residence permission after overstaying visas The Justice Ministry has decided to grant special residence permission to a Kurdish man, his Filipino wife and their 7-year-old daughter, overturning its earlier decision to deport the couple for overstaying their visas. Mainichi Shinbun, March 25, 2008.
Refugee status denial puts family in limbo: Detained Myanmar activist fights to stay here with kin, avoid deportation Khin Maung Latt of Myanmar, his Filipino wife, Maria Hope Jamili, and their two daughters have no place to call home but Japan, and they are on shaky ground. The couple met and married in Tokyo, speak to each other in Japanese, until recently had a steady income and witnessed the birth of their two girls here -- kids who speak only Japanese -- but like their parents are not legal residents. Japan Times, Nov. 13, 2003.
Asylum seekers break record as stricter screenings leave some homeless This article looks at the financial assistance and help with housing that asylum seekers can receive from the Refugee Assistance Headquarters, and how the rules for receiving assistance, especially with housing, have been made stricter and may lead to some asylum seekers becoming homeless. Japan Times, 11 Dec, 2012.
Refugees forced into streets due to Japan’s stricter screenings Foreigners seeking asylum in Japan might soon find themselves homeless and without money as the government implements a stricter screening process in an attempt to curb the surge in the number of refugee requests. Japan Daily Press, 121 Dec, 2012.
Asylum seekers find little refuge in Japan Despite being the third largest donor in the world to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Japan admits only a tiny number of asylum seekers compared to other industrialized nations, and often appears reluctant to grant refugee status to those who do come. Japan Today, 26 Jul, 2009.
2012 saw record-high 2,545 people apply for refugee status in Japan A record 2,545 foreigners applied for refugee status in Japan in 2012 but there was a drop in the number of those who were actually granted refugee status from 21 to 18. Japan Times, 20 Mar, 2013.
Refugee requests soar, approvals dip A record-high 1,867 foreign nationals applied for refugee status last year but only 21 applicants were approved, down from 39 in 2010, the Justice Ministry said. Japan Times, Feb. 26, 2012.
Japan Announces That 0 Refugeees Will Be Resettled This Year by Brian Barbour, Director, External Relations Unit, Japan Association for Refugees (JAR); and Chair, Legal Aid and Advocacy Working Group (LAAWG), Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN). This article includes recommendations for reforming the Resettlement Program by i) changing the selection criteria for refugees accepted, and ii) creating a more inclusive, co-ordinated support network in Japan for refugees on the program. Fahamu Refugee Legal and Newsletter, 1 Dec, 2012.
Refugee resettlement program planned for those fleeing conflict Taking steps to accept more foreign refugees, Japan will introduce the so-called third-country refugee resettlement program as early as fiscal 2010, becoming the first Asian country to do so, according to government sources. Under the program, Japan will accept refugees who flee their conflict-stricken home countries to nearby states but find it hard to resettle. Japan Times, Aug. 23, 2008.
Shorter detention of asylum seekers set A short article about an agreement between the Ministry of Justice and civil society organisations that recognises international criticism of the slow process of judging asylum claims and of the detention of asylum seekers in Japan, and that seeks to shorten the process and provide housing for asylum seekers. Japan Times, 11 Feb, 2012.
Detention Profile Japan Information on the use of detention in Japan, for undocumented migrants as well as asylum seekers, from the International Detention Project.
Doctor hits immigration center health care: Long detention in packed cells spawns medical ills getting little attention An article about a report submitted by Dr Junpei Yamamura to the Justice Ministry’s Immigration Bureau on the health conditions of the detainees he saw between August 2003 and September 2004 at Higashi-Nihon Immigration Center in Ushiku, Ibaraki Prefecture, that claims that foreigners without visas and people seeking asylum held at the center receive poor medical care, and some are suffering serious illnesses during their long detention. Japan Times, 16 Nov 2004. For a full report on medical conditions in detention centres, see below.
Persecuted Foreigners--- Human Rights Violation at Immigration Center under the Ministry of Justice --- by Yamamura Jumpei M.D. A detailed report on the medical treatment and health conditions of asylum seekers and people without visas in detention centres that argues: "At Japanese immigration centers, prolonged confinement deteriorates the detainee’s health, yet no adequate medical care is provided". Solidarity with Migrants Network Japan, 22 March, 2005.
Japan failing its obligation to aid asylum seekers Japan accepted just six asylum seekers last year, the lowest number in 15 years, according to the Justice Ministry.....The rate is one more piece of evidence that Japan’s insularity is increasing. Japan Times, 29 Mar, 2014.
System ‘failing asylum seekers’ The recent death of a Myanmar detainee at the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau underlines the inadequate medical treatment asylum seekers face nationwide from chronic staff shortages, experts say. Japan Times, 2 Nov 2013.
Diplomat rues Tokyo’s ‘lack of humanity’ to asylum-seekers Sadako Ogata, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees from 1991-2001, and President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) since 2003 talks frankly to The Japan Times about Japan’s attitudes to those who flee their homelands and seek sanctuary on these shores. Japan Times, 8 Jul, 2007.
Welcoming refugees to fill labor shortages Michael Lindenbauer, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees representative in Japan asks if Japan should accept more refugees as an answer to its lack of workers. Japan Times, 18 Aug, 2014.
Final 23 Myanmar refugees arrive in Japan on resettlement program Twenty-three refugees from Myanmar who had fled to Thailand arrived Friday evening in Tokyo, the last group to do so under a Japanese pilot resettlement program begun in fiscal 2010. The programme has not gone well with fewer refugees choosing to come to japan on it than hoped. Japan Times, 26 Sep, 2014.
Detainees’ families fighting for dignity — and hugs: No-contact rule targeted as part of wider bid to improve conditions at immigration center, Japan Times, 27 Mar 2012.
Expanding alternatives to immigration detention in Japan International Detention Coalition
Detention monitoring newly established in Japan by Naoko Hashimoto Forced Migration Review