Japan’s harsh refugee policy long criticized
A total of 47 foreigners were granted refugee status in Japan last year and allowed to stay in the country, according to figures released by the Japan Immigration Agency. Among them were 11 Chinese nationals.
Japan has long been criticized for accepting a very small number of refugees. Compared to Germany, the United States and France, Japan approves only a fraction of the number of refugees each year in those countries. 44 people were granted refugee status in Japan in 2019, compared to 53,973 in Germany, 44,614 in the United States and more than 30,000 in France.
Significantly more Chinese were granted refugee status last year
However, in a longitudinal comparison, the number of Chinese refugees approved in Japan in the last two years has seen a significant change. According to the South China Morning Post, in the 30 years prior to 2015, only two Chinese were granted asylum in Japan. 2018, on the other hand, 308 Chinese applied for asylum in Japan and only four were approved. 2019, a total of 134 Chinese applied for asylum in Japan and none were granted. 2020, affected by the epidemic, only 88 Chinese applied for asylum in Japan, but 11 were successfully were granted refugee status.
Religious reasons and the Hong Kong issue
In its report, the Japan Broadcasting Association noted that the increase in the number of Chinese granted refugee status in Japan is likely related to the growing criticism of the Chinese Communist Party for its treatment of ethnic minorities, including the Uighurs in Xinjiang, and international accusations that China is trampling on human rights. Refugee Aid Japan notes that some Chinese who have fled to Japan claim that their religious and political beliefs are not tolerated in China. Some of them are from Xinjiang. Chinese who have applied for refugee status in Japan include Falun Gong members, Christians and others. The South China Morning Post quoted a coordinator of the Door To Asylum Nagoya support group as saying that religion is the main reason why Chinese seek refuge in Japan.
The Japanese refugee aid group also estimates that more Hong Kong residents will apply for asylum in Japan in the future. In March, the Group of Seven countries, including Japan, issued a statement calling on China to abide by the Sino-British Joint Declaration and its legal obligations, to respect Hong Kong’s fundamental rights and freedoms as enshrined in the Basic Law, and to call on the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities to end the unwarranted suppression of those who advocate democratic values and defend rights and freedoms. None of the 11 Chinese granted asylum in Japan last year came from Hong Kong, but the South China Morning Post quoted Daisuke Sugimoto, secretary general of a group of Japanese refugee lawyers, as saying that the Japanese government’s attitude toward Chinese refugee applicants is changing and that the government expects to receive more refugee applications, including from Hong Kong, in the future.
Typically, Chinese who apply for asylum in Japan come to Japan on tourist visas, but the epidemic has led to a sharp drop in the number of Chinese tourists who visited Japan on vacation last year. The Japanese Diet is currently considering amendments to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act. Japan now allows some people to stay in Japan on humanitarian grounds, but does not recognize them as refugees. The planned revisions aim to provide clear legal criteria for those who do not fully meet refugee status.
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