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Iraqi sues Japan for refusing refugee status

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46 Comments
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Sure,why not. If a country doesn’t want you,let just sue them till access is granted.

6 ( +18 / -12 )

We have an aging population and a labor shortage so no we don't want another young worker to come into our country

-10 ( +14 / -24 )

I don't get it. Why Japan? I get why so many refugees come to America, we have huge populations of all ethnicities, but why would an Iraqi choose Japan? Kinda makes it seem he's not quite as persecuted as he's claiming and just wants to live in Japan...

23 ( +32 / -9 )

If you truly fear for your life, you go wherever you will be accepted, not sue to live in your place of choice.

28 ( +36 / -8 )

He returned to Iraq,spent some time there with no adverse reaction from his "persecutors" seemingly. Surely nobody in their right mind would return to such a potentially dangerous situation. No wonder his application has been refused.

23 ( +28 / -5 )

Iraq is a wasteland with militants roaming the streets.

Anyway thinking that Iraq is safe and wonderfully agreeable place must wonder why the majority of occupying Americans live in a heavily fortified safe zone in central Baghdad that ordinary Iraqis don’t!

Japan needs more refugees from places like this....

-21 ( +8 / -29 )

Sueing the government is not a wise move. Even if he is accepted, no one will want to be around him. Sueing people in Japan is considered unsightly.

10 ( +14 / -4 )

If you truly fear for your life, you go wherever you will be accepted, not sue to live in your place of choice.

This. If you are not accepted in a country just pick another one. Why fight the system if it doesn't want you.

12 ( +14 / -2 )

Japan needs qualified & vetted "immigrants", not anyone who can just get in with a refugee status. I can understand if a refugee is indeed is in need, but just because Japan needs more workforce, breaking laws and allowing anyone in is pure stupidity as some buffoons suggesting here.

One thing I cannot understand though; the lack of refugees in Japan. I understand the distance, expense & the huge culture shock etc. But is there a proper explanation why there were so few accepted as true refugees? As a first world country, you'd expect more humanitarian support from Japan, do they choose to help with giving money, supplies, etc. only, and refrain to get more than few refugees?

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Clearly an economic refugee. He should go to Europe and stay out of here. This is the one country that is still nice and we should all work to keep it that way.

-7 ( +8 / -15 )

Oh the irony.

Years ago, people left and right were demonizing Japan for being so 'xenophobic' and 'racist' against foreigners and excluding them from immigrating to the country en masse.

As we have seen the past few years, unfettered immigration to multiple countries has created nothing but headaches with resources strained to the limit, increase in crime, etc.

Who is better off now?

12 ( +15 / -3 )

Without insightful legal advice of Japanese lawyers, how could this man file the suit with the Osaka District Court?

This case is not different from that in Australia when a group of Australian lawyers were so committed in helping asylum seekers to sue their government for some questionable reasons, such as business promotion, income, compassion, and others.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Bloody joke, JP gov should counter sue him for wasting public resources, he is obviously well off enough to travel at will between countries , he had no special issues living in Iraq for a year either.

Throw him out and mark his passport as entry denied.

I wonder which imbecile official in immi here even let him in ...

5 ( +11 / -6 )

and... why can he work here? he has no visa... its illegal for him to work part time.. I would deport just for that.

4 ( +10 / -6 )

My time in Malaysia (1 year) gave me a totally different perspective of the world.

A 60% Muslim country, where 3 ethnicities (indian, chinese and malay) live in peace, asian tourists/expats everywhere, you can shop anytime at an Aeon Mall, Daiso, Max Value and many other japanese and korean chain supermarkets/shopping centers, public transportation is convenient, the food is delicious,the life is easy and the streets are safe (due to harsh penalties I guess). Because of the religion, this is one of the few countries granting visa free entry to many middle eastern countries, rich arabs, young syrians and women in full niqab everywhere, sharing the same train/lift with koreans and chinese malaysians in their micro shorts. I would say there is absolutely nothing a middle east muslim would miss in Malaysia.

My question is: why the heck do they keep flocking to countries with food, culture, customs and religion completely different from of their home countries?

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Well, Japan did sign up to the UN Convention of Human Rights.

Sueing people in Japan is considered unsightly.

If anybody should be doing any sueing, it is the inmates of Japanese immigration detention centers, who are detained in disgusting conditions while their applications are being processed.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Ex_res the people staying at immigration detention centers are NOT inmates.. they are free to purchase ticket and leave Japan at any moment. ,absolutely nobody is forcing them to stay there unless they committed a crime ( overstay, fake passport or sham marriage are all CRIMINAL offences in any country ) ... and conditions at any Japanese detention center, is way way way better than any detention center anywhere else in the world( which is also why so many of them freeload there on my taxpayer dime ).

2 ( +8 / -6 )

Japan needs more refugees from places like this....

It's the people living in those places that make them the unbearable dumps that they are. If you put the people somewhere else they would turn that place into a dump too.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

Hasn't he heard of sovereign immunity?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Give me a break!

Does this Iraqi assume the Japanese government is ignorant about the situation in Iraq? It is the former Baath party that teams up with Daesh (ISIS) militants and enabled the latter to occupy part of Iraq and Syria. Christians, Yazidi etc. certainly, and maybe Kurdish people, deserve to refugee status, but not Baathists - they are still part of persecutors.

It could be safe for hims to be in Japan but it is not safe for Japan to accommodate him.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

I wonder why doesn't want to go to other Muslim friendly countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Middle-east, etc.

Why Japan?

12 ( +12 / -0 )

Comments-1:

@finally rich

Who knows, may be he don't want to lose his new girl friend.

@finally rich about your question is: why the heck do they keep flocking to countries with food, culture, customs and religion completely different from of their home countries?

Most of the middle east Muslim citizen spend their life out of middle east as western & far different from of their home countries? You want to see, visit other Asian countries including Malaysia.

So, Should not mix-up this Iraqi's wish with his religion.

Comments-2:

Japan was part of Iraq war alliance.

So, may be their is some obligation to accept Iraqi refugee, and I think this Iraqi know the rules and of course his lawyer know well.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

This guy has no business seeking asylum in Japan.

Next train to Narita and away with him.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

LUL what an amazing thing to do keep trying boi hahaha

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I wonder why doesn't want to go to other Muslim friendly countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Middle-east, etc.

Why Japan?

Regardless of religion or race, I think the whole world wants to immigrate to the same White/Christian countries because they know they will be safer around white/christian people.

And will be treated fairly by white/christian people.

Must be a common belief around the world.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

This person's level of entitlement is baffling. His political affiliation is also a threat to Japan's security. If he truly fears for his life, the smart move would be to file an appeal or look for another country that will accept you.. filing a suit wouldn't be part of the option anyhow.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

WesleyToday  02:00 pm JST

I wonder why doesn't want to go to other Muslim friendly countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Middle-east, etc. 

Why Japan?

Because those other countries are not keen to take refugees.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

My question is: why the heck do they keep flocking to countries with food, culture, customs and religion completely different from of their home countries?

Likely for the same reason those of us posting on this site flocked to Japan, even though it's completely different from our home countries.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

This guy has no business seeking asylum in Japan.

Um, Japan is a signatory to the U.N. 1951 Conventions Relating to the Status of Refugees. In 1982, they signed the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, and they have created their own immigration control and refugee recognition law.

By Japan's own decisions and announcements, they are a nation that accepts refugees. Therefore anyone seeking asylum has the right, or the "business" to do so. Because Japan has elected to make themselves to which refugees can escape.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Good on ya Japan stick to your decisions, the West has seen the negative effects of "refugees" - he has already returned to Iraq things cant be to tough for him, send him back quick.

3 ( +8 / -5 )

Ex_res the people staying at immigration detention centers are NOT inmates..

They are locked in. I don't know how else to describe them. Internee, perhaps?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

"They are locked in. I don't know how else to describe them. Internee, perhaps?"

Inmates cannot ask to be sent home; people detained at immigration can ask to be sent back home today, if they so wish.

There's a difference for you.

We've got thousands of them in "immigrant friendly" UK.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/oct/11/britains-immigration-detention-how-many-people-are-locked-up

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Dont allow asylum to an economic migrant that is using government assistance.Japan stand up and be strong.Send these imposters home.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Dumping on Japan is common in the English-speaking community here, so I was somewhat surprised at the negative reaction here. That is, I would have thought that the usual suspects would be sympathizing with the litigant and screaming their usual nonsense about xenophobia and, yes, "embedded racism"...Unfortunately, we do not know the details of this case. If the young man is (a) reasonably well educated, (b) able to speak Japanese, and (c) religiously tolerant, he could join those de-facto "immigrants" who are contributing to Japan's future. We should remember that though Saddam Hussein was a murderous monster, his regime was not Islamist and that, even such aside, there are many from Islamic nations who loathe all that "Allahu Akbar" stuff as much as we do.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Dont allow asylum to an economic migrant that is using government assistance.Japan stand up and be strong.Send these imposters home.

If it’s found his claim for asylum is not valid, then yes, they should send him back. And if it is valid, they should offer him asylum for the humanity of it. That humanity being the reasons why countries have signed on as asylum-offering nations in the first place.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

He should sue Iraq govt, not Japanese govt.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

His story can turn into a Hollywood movie. He goes back to Iraq and return to Japan and then he applied for refuge. Now he is suing the Japanese Government for refusing refugee status.

I wish him good luck and go back to Iraq.

I'm also thinking about how can I sue with a fictional story because I have ran out of money..

1 ( +1 / -0 )

As he is not claiming asylum because of sectarian discrimination it would be reasonable to assume that he is an adherant of Islam. Surely he would be welcome in another Islamic country and save himself all of this trouble. It's a mystery to me why Moslems would want to reside in countries that have laws, customs and beliefs that are intolerable to them.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The Iraqi man has done the right thing! Once it goes to court. Authorities typically grant status to avoid being in the limelight ! Japan doesn’t use evidence, witness based process or even previously granted asylum status, to make decisions. In a refugee camp, an hour or less long interview by UN or other official is enough for the refugee paper or card to be issued or granted, for Japan It’s purely arbitrary decision , takes years, multiple application !! and often related to person being able to highly adapt to Japanese society and pay taxes as resident and not a burden on society! Hence The negligible percentage of those granted status as compared to all other countries itself is a big red flag of how much Japan ignores International Laws and Conventions, Japan blantantly disregards UN yearly warnings on human rights violations every year ! Japan allowed for overstayers to work here in Up to the late 90’s without any issue whatsoever ,as visa system was outdated and had no provisions for amnesty or unskilled labor category was never officially written into law or rules. Cops always checked and found the no status of visa overstayers in past and let them go to workplace and said gambatte kudasai, these laborers built Japan ! After early 2000 recession and deflation , administration officials suddenly wanted them out and used media to newly label them as criminals and kick them out! One day they were workers and next day found to be criminals! Hypocrisy!!

Returning back even once just destroyed Iraqi mans case ! The Turkish came in droves with families and many own businesses and are good citizens but many struggle . A few years ago,2 refugee recognition granted young persons were involved in sexual assault and robbery in Tokyo making it even harder for others to be recognized!! This is after they screened them out thought and grant just 20 persons out of 5000 or 10,000 applications each year ! USA and EU account for half of the applicants granted !!

Immigration centers violate international law and have poor medical and living conditions. The authorities arbitrarily issue deportation orders and it goes to court taking years for a decision. There is a provisional release legal process which allows detainees to be released on bond and appear every month or two before the authorities till the court case is heard, marriage papers are in order and asylum or refugee process is undergoing , but the detainees are arbitrarily denied the provisional release for minimum of 6-9 months before first application and have to apply multiple times before being granted. Each decision takes 2-3 months waiting. 100 of detainees have Japanese or permanent resident spouses, children in Japan but are mentally tortured and intimidated into leaving Japan and not allowed to take recourse for due legal process. Being denied basic rights as a human being is a crime against humanity and not about the merits of detainees case or reasons for staying in Japan . I work as an activist for foreigners and refugee human rights with lawyers, NGO’s and NPO’s and they are doing their best against a system that is harsh, unfair and cruel . Japan is now opening its doors to Immigrants in many sectors that was once closed to revive its economy and its aging society, despite the shameful opposition leaders who pretend to actually care for its citizens but only want to protect their pride and inflated egos ! Peace !

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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