Japan accepted only 27 of 7,586 asylum applications in 2015
In 2015, the number of asylum applications jumped by 50% from the previous and reached 7,586. But, the government recognized only 27 refugees, the Justice Ministry said Friday. In 2014, Japan had 5,000 applicants and granted refugee status to 11.
People of 69 nationalities applied for asylum in 2015. Nepalese represented the largest group at 1,768, followed by Indonesians at 969, Turks at 926, and nationals of Myanmar at 808. The top 10 are all Asian countries.
In addition to the 27 given refugee status, the government granted 79 individuals temporary permission to reside in Japan out of “humanitarian consideration,” the ministry said.
Immigration Bureau of Japan official Saori Fujita said the steep rise was due to an increase in the number of Indonesian applicants. A mere 17 Indonesians applied in 2014, compared to 969 applicants last year. This was due to the introduction of a visa waiver system for Indonesian tourists in December 2014 and a subsequent surge in the number of travelers from there.
Lobbyists for the interests of asylum seekers condemned the rejection of those who may have fled persecution or violence, saying it marks a stark contrast with the policies of other developed nations. Eri Ishikawa, Chair of the Board of the Japan Association for Refugees (JAR), said, “In Germany, the number of applicants last year was 1.1 million, and about half of them are expected to stay."
“Japan has been criticized as a country that pays money but is closed for refugees," she added.
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