Not welcome: Japan tough to crack for refugees

Trust me I'm living in a country that allows in too many refugee's every year these people are a drain on taxpayers money over represented in crime statistics - Japan keep yourself refugee free and save yourself a lot of future problems

Whilst the Chinese are building schools, ports and hospitals etc in Africa it is the Japanese that are failing to build bridges that they need to keep Japan in cheap natural materials.

And there are more than a few Chinese workers that also marry Africans.

Japan is definitely disadvantaged.....

All the Japanese need to justify their restrictive immigration policies is to take a look at Europe. The refugees the Europeans have admitted cause all kinds of mayhem, with no-go zones, public mass prayer in the streets, demonstrations where they carry posters announcing things like "Death to those who insult Islam," and last but not least the wave of rapes and molestation of European women and girls. Several public swimming pools in Germany have instituted regular police patrols after reports of aggressive behavior by the "rapefugees" who see Western women and girls as a self-serve buffet. No country needs the social pathologies the refugees bring with them, least of all an ordered and disciplined society like Japan. The West would be wise to follow Japan's example.

it should say "if you are seeking asylum in Japan, GOOD LUCK WITH THAT!"

Zichi.

The same is true in many european public housing units, has to be in the same condition as when first rented.

Japan needs more foreigners, no way around it.

Asylum is asylum and immigration is immigration. The two should not be conflated. Nor should the asylum system be used as a cheap way to screen immigrants or a way to jump immigration queues, as it is in so many western countries.

Does Japan need more asylum seekers? Absolutely not. But it is obliged to take them if they arrive at the border and are able to prove that they meet the strict definition of a refugee. Does Japan need more immigrants? Yes, I think so.

Trust me I'm living in a country that allows in too many refugee's every year these people are a drain on taxpayers money over represented in crime statistics - Japan keep yourself refugee free and save yourself a lot of future problems

I for one would rather have the xenophobic Japanese bring more refugees into the country than see all my tax money get sent overseas into some black-hole that has not return to the economy here.

Instead of spending the cash over there, use it here, at least then there would be some benefit to the local economies.

Oh and if you didnt know, Japan already has thousands of refugees....they are Japanese!

I watch the morning and evening news every day, and I don't ever remember them reporting on these things.

Ahem, that's very ironic given that one of the criticisms made of countries like Germany and Sweden is that the media has largely underplayed problems caused by migrants/asylum seekers because it's not politically-correct.

Sure it's not like those countries are being overwhelmed by foreigners. But there are significant problems there caused by large numbers of people arriving who don't speak the language and don't necessarily share the same values as the host country. The latter especially is anathema to Japanese people.

One thing about the article, I would comment that Liliane's story is interesting. She said that "Sometimes I think refugee status has no meaning". Well, it does. It means that you're able to stay in Japan and not be sent back to your country - you've been granted refuge. It doesn't mean you're given a free house and income. Yes, that's fairly harsh, but it's the way it is in Japan for all foreigners. Japan just takes the view that if you travel there for anything other than tourism, you just need to crack on with it.

Ahem, that's very ironic given that one of the criticisms made of countries like Germany and Sweden is that the media has largely underplayed problems caused by migrants/asylum seekers because it's not politically-correct.

I would say it's less an issue of political correctness in Japan, and more just something that people don't care about.

I have no trouble with immigration or granting asylum as long as the numbers are controlled and those wanting in are properly vetted and will respect the culture and values of their host country.

In other words, the complete opposite of the ticking time bomb that is Europe.

I have no trouble with immigration or granting asylum as long as the numbers are controlled and those wanting in are properly vetted and will respect the culture and values of their host country

I agree, but when a country signs up to the UN refugee convention, it's an open ended commitment to take in an unlimited number of refugees as long as they show up at your borders. It could be 28 or 1,000,000. Having any sort of annual cap is strictly prohibited.

If a cap were allowed, I think Japan would loosen their evaluation criteria and recognize more refugees. As it stands, they are terrified of opening the floodgates.

The modern asylum system is also fundamentally broken and not fit for purpose. We now have a system where those who are physically fit and have the money and means to travel, pay people smugglers, and buy fake documents are able to shop around for asylum in whichever country they choose, while the poorest and most vulnerable are never able to reach a safe country. We need a complete overhaul of the system where asylum seekers can be processed close to their home countries and then temporarily (and randomly) distributed to safe countries.

M3M3M3 - The convention simply defines what a refugee is and the basic rights afforded to them. There is no open-ended commitment to take in an "unlimited number as long as they show up at your borders".

In any case the sheer number escaping the hell holes of North Africa cannot be supported. Its time for those people to remain and fight for a country they don't need to escape from.

Why is Japan a signatory on Human Rights and not held to U.N. sanctions?

@clamenza

M3M3M3 - The convention simply defines what a refugee is and the basic rights afforded to them. There is no open-ended commitment to take in an "unlimited number as long as they show up at your borders".

While it's true that the convention doesn't expressly prohibit or even mention a cap, the obligations within the convention make it virtually impossible to impose one. When Austria introduced a daily cap at the height of the European refugee crisis everyone agreed that they were in breach of the convention.

Specifically, article 32 says:

The Contracting States shall not expel a refugee lawfully in their territory save on grounds of national security or public order.

Public order means commiting crimes and national security means terrorism, insurection etc. Being full is not a valid reason to expel a refugee under the convention. Australia has expelled refugees to safe third countries but this is also probably illegal under the convention. The Australian government has even looked at the possibility of withdrawing from the convention. There is simply no provision for being able to turn away the vast majority of genuine refugees, even if you have taken in as many as is politically palatable to the citizens of your country. That's why I call it an open ended commitment to take in unlimited numbers. I think a cap is much more sensible than the current all or nothing approach.

@sf2k ... I understand your frustration. I've a friend who works with refugees, and she showed me links to some really good information. Basically ...

UNHCR handles only the initial vetting of potential refugees, then refer them to a possible refugee-accepting country, who do further vetting of their own. The process is very lengthy, usually taking 1 year - for Japan it takes about 2.5 years. Currently there are only 37 countries that voluntarily accept refugees. Japan is one, but it is not the most accepting in terms of numbers. Each country is responsible for funding its refugee resettlement program. In many countries this is underfunded, and so NGOs, NPOs, or charities usually provide assistance to refugees.

There is no reliable evidence to show that refugees commit more crime per capita than the general population. I firmly believe that the real problem is that Japan is basically still an insular and racially homogeneous country, which means there remains a strong fear of outsiders. On the other hand, I also think it is true that many refugees face difficulty assimilating into their host country - which is totally understandable when you're in a new culture . This is why we see so much resistance and debate about refugees.

At the end of the day, we are talking about compassion for our fellow human-beings. Do we as a society step up to help those in need - refugees are by definition involuntary immigrants often fleeing persecution. Or do we turn our backs on others, even if it not easy to help. By the way, Japan takes in very few refugees each year - last year there were more than 10,000 applications and only 28 accepted.

I'm from Sweden and lived the whole-90's I Hachioji...

i promise that it would be very good (and the world) for Japan and the Japanese to take in more foreigners...

Johan

@M3M3M3 - considering it was written back in the 50's, it has no relevance to today's issues. Besides, the UN General Assembly is currently run by 3rd world goons and hustlers. The sooner 1st world countries scrap it the better.

I know alot about refugeed becaudr my father was one. Hes Japanese and his family was fighting in Burma in WW2. They came here to this caribbean Island and integrated fully with local people, of 300 Japanese, 95% speaks spanish and most have mixed children. But The Chinese and muslims that settled here didn't integrste with local society and made their own towns with culture.

The lady who got in seems to have the biggest problem with the fact that she wasn't handed a bunch of free stuff when she got to Japan. She should have just come here to Massachusetts: They'd have given her a house, a phone, a debit card loaded with cash, and a few clean sets of pajamas to sit around in while the rest of us are at work.

KiyoshiMukai: so, holding o to your own culture is wrong? Why do you keep a Japanese name? And what does that have to do with Japan not accepting asylum seekers while clearly other nations will accept Japanese?

Trust me I'm living in a country that allows in too many refugee's every year these people are a drain on taxpayers money over represented in crime statistics - Japan keep yourself refugee free and save yourself a lot of future problems.

I couldn't agree more, Helping is one thing. But No country should have to deal with a massive refugee crisis, especially if it is a burden on the host nation.

Smithinjapan, its great to keep your culture but its aldo important to integrate with the society that accepts you, if that doesn't happen you end with two perpendicular societies. Just like Chinatown, Kalais and the muslims town in the UK, places that wont integrate with the surrounding towns. But I can tell you, refugees almost never go back to their country unless they integrate with society.

my familys father tried to go back to Japan but they were very poor and here we are, my family is multi-racial but you can go check many cultures here, they wont even talk to us. My mother of soanish descent was kicked from her family for marrying a Japanese men. So you get my point.

Yes I go to budish temple but I also go to a Christian church and its completely ok here

@clamenza

considering it was written back in the 50's, it has no relevance to today's issues. 

I agree it either needs to be radically reformed to meet today's conditions or it should be scrapped. There are dozens of things I would either add or remove. Both to restrict and also expand the definition of who is a refugee. For example, one glaring deficiency is that gender is not within the protected categories of persecution. A woman who is raped in the UAE or Saudi Arabia and flees because she is facing arrest and imprisonment for having sex outside of marriage is not a refugee under the convention, yet someone who deliberately posts anti-government messages on facebook using their real name and takes a screenshot has a good chance of being granted asylum.

A woman who is raped in the UAE or Saudi Arabia and flees because she is facing arrest and imprisonment for having sex outside of marriage is not a refugee under the convention,

.

Considering Saudi Arabia has been chosen as chair of a UN human rights panel tells us all we need to know about the General Assembly. Outrageous.

Brazil has the largest Japanese community outside Japan, hundreds of thousands Japanese found in Brazil a welcoming country for foreigners of all nations. Here the Japanese live in peace with the Chinese, Korean communities, as Jews and Muslims do not fight. About 100 years ago Japan was a poor country, there was not enough food to all, not enough jobs, and so, thousands of families had to depart from their homeland to distant places, some to the USA, some to Brazil and other South American countries. Japanese people was poor and in need, starving, and found shelter in other countries. Now Japan is rich, generosity is a value, there good hearted Japanese, Japan can share its wealth with those in need today and make the world a better place to live, a friendly place in the planet, a good example of world citizenship for mankind. Japan can change for better the life of millions of people and be the leader by giving the example.

From the way they treat the Japanese-Brazilians, is an indication they really don't want anybody else in their country. Even you in this platform waxing lyrical about them not allowing refugees, you must know, you are TOLERATED only in as far as being props for Japanese " egalitarianism" or internationalization. Did the treatment of foreigners in the aftermath of the earthquake of (3/11 )say something about it?

Japan will never change its laws to accept more refugees or to make it easier for them to gain refugee status. The simple reason is, Japan is afraid of change. They will not accept refugees because they afraid of what changes they may have to make to accommodate them.

Rather than open its doors to the many refugees, Japan should try harder to prevent or put an end to the refugee crisis; mainly by telling those who are sponsoring the terrorism in Syria to cut it out (i.e., US, Saudi Arabia, Israel, UK, ....).

"Here they do not pay for your studies, they do not help you to get bank loans, or give you social housing... we are left to ourselves, we have to fight alone"

What a coincidence, no one paid me, or helped me, no-one gave me housing either (nor anyone I know)

How many countries did you pass on your way to Japan I wonder. Japan is strict, and it's their right to be so, I hope that continues.

Just like Chinatown, Kalais and the muslims town in the UK, places that wont integrate with the surrounding towns.

Just because there are Chinatowns, doesn't mean all Chinese immigrants live there and won't integrate. Likely most of the residents there are recent immigrants. 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc generation ones are likely well integrated and disbursed.

An immigrant willing to endorse and abide with a host countries social values, customs, and morality. Willing to participate with society and demonstrate some value. Going the whole hog as it were. Those people should have a shot at integration. Cultural concepts tend to change very slowly and usually only because a good reason is perceived to do so.

 why would you even accept a burden that wont be your friend?

Words worth thinking about.

Kono kuni wa wagamaga desu. Seimei wa kicho desu. No matter what race you are people should be able to live in the country of their choice or birth without fear and more problems.

Kono kuni wa wagamaga desu. Seimei wa kicho desu. No matter what race you are people should be able to live in the country of their choice or birth without fear and more problems.

That's a nutty idea.

I have mixed feelings about whether Japan should take in refugees or not. I agree with many that the model chosen in Europe has resulted in a mess. Also refugees that come to a country and are not willing to assimilate and live within the boundaries of the country's cultural expectations and learn the language will also be problematic.

That said, once a country decides to accept refugees (and in Japan's case it is very few per year) the country needs to take some responsibility (as does the refugee) to ensure a successful resettlement. I think that would include language lessons, cross cultural training, and job training. I am not advocating for a welfare system that would support them for life, but for a system that will give them a shot at succeeding.

Hiroshi implies we should have a border-less world. I think that would be great, BUT, it is not at all practical and current events as well as human history demonstrate that it would really not work out well.

kiyoshiMukai: "Smithinjapan, its great to keep your culture but its aldo important to integrate with the society that accepts you, if that doesn't happen you end with two perpendicular societies. "

You're contradicting yourself. You suggested that Chinese and others -- once again taking a superior tone to Chinese in particular (I can guess where you inherited that part) -- do not integrate at all, but then say it is perfectly okay not to integrate and keep the Japanese parts. A truly embracing society does not expect conformation, which is again what you ask of some, but exempt yourself from. A truly open society welcomes difference, and celebrates it. Your country has welcomed you, and yet YOU exclude others, like Chinese.

"Yes I go to budish temple but I also go to a Christian church and its completely ok here"

So, you can have a Buddhist Temple and a Christian church, but it's not okay to have a China Town or a mosque. Okay, got it.

I applaud you for embracing parts of your mixed heritage, but you turn around and blow it by demanding that others lose the bits you don't like. You seem pretty proud that the country you are from will accept others and they are free to express difference (again, unless they don't conform, which is paradoxical), and you once again miss the point that Japan is not like that at all, and needs to start opening up more, culturally and literally at the borders. The paranoia about Muslims is unfounded, but they have to start accepting less than near zero! The nation depends on it. It is completely ridiculous that some people here seem to have faith that robots will be so advanced we don't need babies anymore or companions instead of evening considering the option of easing immigration and letting in refugees to fill the increasing gaps in society. Japan will collapse unless it lets more people in.

But you know, I think a lot of Japanese would rather see the nation die out than become more integrated with others and see the Yamato culture change slightly over time and become, regardless of what they think, BETTER for the changes.

One of the great things about Japan is they keep "refugees" out of the Country. All Countries should do this.

"Smithinjapan" About the Chinatown, we do have a Chinatown here and I was there yesterday, correct me then, it's ok to have a Chinatown but when you go into another society you should integrate, avoiding isolation of you or your group.

many people asked me "why do your people marry only with Japanese?" I tell them that I'm not Chinese and that most Japanese families are mixed. My son is tall, clear eyes, almost blonde and my daughter is brunnete. But you wont find a mixed Mainland Chinese but you can find a mixed Taiwaneese easly.

time ago I went to a local palestinian Restaurant and they simply told me to quit that its only for Iranians, Syrians and Palestinians So you get my point.

We do make Bon-Odori, Hapiokai, Undokai every year and everybody is welcome, who else does that?

Multiculturalism sucks, but the food is good.

The Japanese view refugees as something for Western countries to deal with. Same goes for S. Koreans and Chinese. They often cite their own cultural pride as a reason. Indeed, the UN and other international agencies act in line with that: they don't pressure non-Western countries like they do Western ones when 3rd world crises erupt, despite those Asian countries having a greater need for immigration due to their more chronic demographic profiles.

This of course adds fuel to the White supremacist fire. In Toronto, posters recently went up asking, "Why are only white countries forced to become multi-cultural?" Unless our leaders, from local to international, can respond to that question, and other perceived double standards that riddle this issue, then expect an even more divisive, if not dangerous, era ahead.

Why should a society receives someone who would just "flee" when things go hard, instead of staying and fight for their own ? When receiving society is having difficulties, those same people it helped will just "flee" again to greener pastures.

This is crazy because unlike other countries there is actual space in the ghost towns outside of major cities with empty houses even. By fixating on itself as as tribe where no one can enter it will continues its slow suicide until it's gone

If the notion of heritage and nation can be separated there might be hope. End Jus sanguinis and replace it with Jus soil.

If the fraternity of a Japanese way of life for peoples of the world is too much to fear, then there's no point in saving it

Japan has the right idea with respect to immigration/refugees. Congratulations. Canada has completely failed, sad to say.

When their bridges are collapsing, public services begin to fail the fields are overgrown and there isn't anyone to collect the trash, the Japanese will wonder how they got into this situation....

She adds: "Here they do not pay for your studies, they do not help you to get bank loans, or give you social housing... we are left to ourselves, we have to fight alone."

Australia, all migrants and refugees have received 520 hours English language lesson and free health care. They can apply for Government Housing accommodation but there are tens of thousands of applications are pending due to shortage of vacant apartments and houses. Average, 30,000 Australian citizens are homeless in each State and over hundred thousand Australian citizens are homeless. They don’t receive any assistance from Government. The refugees will receive about $ 500 fortnightly and that money was not enough for rent but you have to share with other refugees. You can apply Government loan for higher education if you want to go to university. Bank doesn't do charity so they don't lend money to refugees. Government doesn’t control over Bank in country like Japan and Australia. If you think host country was heaven and then you’re wrong.

The problem with refugees was they expect everything free from Government. Some refugees think they deserve to receive housing, car, and loan and job because they scarify for come to here. I don’t know what they are thinking.

The Japanese Government needs to be careful about sorting out country decreasing population problem by taking migrants and refugees. Japanese population is healthy compare with big land country like Australia. Japan doesn’t need to worry about its population and stay away from taking refugees. Myanmar citizens can be return safely to their country. If they want to stay in Japan and then it’s their problem. No one has invited them to come to Japan and guarantee they will be given Japanese citizen. They are not genuine refugees and in fact they are economy refugees.

Just Curious, what is the definition of a Refugee now-a-days ?

When you call the number, it instantly sends your GPS coordinates to Immigration.

28 too many let in, i see no reason for her to run (run? swim? or maybe fly...? ) to Japan all the way from Africa.. and then granted status complaining about Japanese language requirement or her skin colour being a detriment... where those people get their sense? News flash, its ASIA and Japan - a homogenous country.

You really wanted to live here - then wrk on it or go back to Africa!