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88 Afghans arrive in Japan

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It’s encouraging to see children included in this depicted group. - On Sep 13, 10 refugees arrived; Oct 9, 53 more. Does this put the number at about 151? Any report of the official numbers so far or where they may live as a community?

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

They're going to be so happy here. Life will be such a breeze compared to the nightmare that is Afghanistan. It's really nice to see. It would be nicer if the number was bigger, though.

-5 ( +8 / -13 )

Of course they will be soon followed by brothers, cousins, nephews, and future wives....

This will only add to the underclass of discriminated and marginalized immigrants Japan will have to deal with in 30 years time.

5 ( +17 / -12 )

Good for them, I just hope they assimilate well.

-9 ( +4 / -13 )

Something here reads like a very 19th Century “if we let ‘em in, they should know their place.” AMERICAN attitude?? :

@Kentarogaijin 8:07am: “As long as they are people who are going to contribute and be useful to the country and society, it's ok..” -

They’re desperate refugees, for pity’s sake. (Perhaps put the ‘adopted‘ nationalism, ay?)

-2 ( +8 / -10 )

(Perhaps put the ‘adopted‘ nationalism asideay?)

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

Is it similar @Monty 9:26am to the U.K., (relax, … just as ‘an example’), where the majority of asylum-seekers do not have the right to work and so must rely on state support??

Housing is provided, but asylum-seekers cannot choose where it is, and it is often ‘hard to let’ properties which tenants do not want to live in?

*- @Monty 9:26am: “My home country has a lot of experience with refugees from Syria.*

Certainly, these refugees would be most appreciative of ANY housing and opportunities they will be given in Japan.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Not necessarily 100% @*JoeBlow 10:13am. *Perhaps some ‘leftover’ facilities in communities outside Tokyo, that enthusiastically prided themselves on hosting some ‘foreign guests’ this past summer would be well-equipped and *culturally diverse *to continue to host, at least temporarily, some of these single-person Afghan refugees?? - Who would object to that?

*- @JoeBlow 10:13am: “…we all know they won't assimilate or contribute to society, they'll just live on the dole” -*

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Postulated comparison information @9:58am Sourced (in part) from:

https://www.unhcr.org/uk/asylum-in-the-uk.html -
-3 ( +1 / -4 )

It seems to be good for now by saving liberal and innocents Afghani peoples whom done good job for us...but in years some of them will become terrorists like in America and EU national are suffering....we all Japanese are still out of major terrorism attack by Islamic extremists in Japan....but I'm sure that will happen in next by so many hardcore fundamentalist come in Japan. Wake up Japan for your future safety.

-6 ( +8 / -14 )

Good for Japan, and good luck to these Afghans making a new life for themselves in Japan. I have met Iranian, Turkish, Pakistani, Indian immigrants in Japan. Some living there for many decades. There is no reason these Afghans cannot do well also.

So much for those who keep banging on about Japan refusing to take in refugees, being xenophobic etc.

Hopefully this is temporary, we all know they won't assimilate or contribute to society, they'll just live on the dole.

Ignorant comment. You actually seem to think Japan has a system by which citizens can be paid unemployment benefits for an unlimited time ie "live on the dole"? Wrong.

6 ( +10 / -4 )

I'm astounded, amazed and sickened by the negativity and outright hostility shown here.

These people have escaped from a country that has suffered decades of war and conflict. Let them have a shot at happiness, or at least freedom from danger and persecution.

They are strangers in a strange land. At least they deserve a warm welcome for the support they gave to Japan during their time in Afghanistan.

They are here because their lives are in danger from the Taliban.

We don't need to give them any more fear.

I agree.

4 ( +11 / -7 )

Japan was not involved in the Afghan War, except as a titular assist, being a client state of the USA. Mostly, Japan was involved in humanitarian measures. This presence was marked by approximately 500 staff members who were Japanese and Afghanis operating ou of the Japanese embassy in Kabul. The evacuation of which was impeded by a terrorist attack on the Kabul airbase. That a feature of the keen military planning by the USA and NOT Japan.

The entire debacle in Afghanistan is the responsibility of the USA, which waged and lost a 20 year war in Afghanistan. This the supposed war on terrorism, against a vague and ill-defined, so-called enemy, spawned by Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda, once allies of the USA via the CIA and other shadowy U.S. organizations. The focus was on waging war against an indigenous group, which was anything but homogenous aka the Taliban. Afghanistan being a grouping of tribal entities and not an integrated state. The mainstay of the war, besides being an off-ramp to the Iraq fiasco, was the trillions of dollars which flowed to defense contractors. Japan had naught to do with this nor any responsibility for its conduct. It was a highly flawed aspect of U.S. foreign policy and failed military strategy.

Most, if not all Afghan refugees seeking refuge in Japan were functionaries for the Japanese government or NGOs. Such as the JICA, a governmental agency that provides aid to promote economic and social development in developing countries. Others worked in the Japanese embassy, in Kabul.

Japan’s humanitarian visa program, currently is aimed only at Afghans who worked with the Japanese embassy and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), along with their family members; as well as those Afghans who worked for Japanese entities such as Japanese nongovernmental organizations. A sensible policy considering Japan's lack of military involvement or intent to pacify Afghanistan, that is the USA's policy and self-inflicted problem.

Japan, for over two decades contributed economic assistance to international NGOs tasked with assisting Afghan refugees. Among those organizations are: the World Food Programme (WFP), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Former Afghan students who studied in Japan are eligible for Japan's assistance if they have a guarantor in Japan, the ministry said.

Japan will contribute $200 million (about ¥22 billion) toward humanitarian assistance for refugees and displaced people in Afghanistan.

In consideration of the countries that actively waged war against the rural Afghan population, such as the USA, UK, Canada and members of NATO - those nations should bear the responsibility of re-settling refugees. One might examine the world-wide refugee population from Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and other countries and easily determine Japan has absolutely zero responsibility - it is the result of the American Empire aka Pax Americana. That Japan offers refuge to a limited number of individuals and families from Afghanistan is all to the good. Japan had naught to do with American 'adventurism' enacted under Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld-Powell and continued by Obama & Trump - a war based on as bogus a reason as the non-existent WMDs in Iraq - it was simply showtime & sleight of hand for a floundering Bush administration hot-to-trot & chomping at the bit to flatten Iraq, all par of a neo-con PNAC strategy. None-the-less, Japan has participated in contributing to the humanitarian aid & assistance to a tragedy which was effected by the USA.

Japan was either hoodwinked into assisting the USA in Afghanistan or simply following orders as a client-state, hoping for boons by being obsequious.

One might note: Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, used the War on Terror aka Afghanistan War and alliance with the USA, in a blatant attempt to exercise an expansion of the SDF and allowance for the Japanese military to engage in offensive combat outside Japan. Which bears some responsibility, though his stance and actions were at odd with the Japanese population.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

out

3 ( +7 / -4 )

RG....

Bingo! Great post!

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

Poor people, they earned the rights to make Japan their new home, I'm sure they will land on their feet with the help from the local muslim communities

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

I just hope they assimilate well.

Who said they will get the chance? Their period of stay is limited. The government will initially allow them 90 day visas, according to the Nikkei, and later grant them visas that will allow them to stay and work in Japan for up to five years. 

I expect many will have left for Western countries or returned home by then.

The Nikkei says Japan may grant further extensions but that depends on developments in Afghanistan. The assumption is that they are here temporarily and will return home once things settle down (and the international community forgets). This is Japan, after all.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

they earned the rights to make Japan their new home

They did???

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

IMO, the addition of these people will make Japanese society better.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

Not much of a life for them here though! But still much much better than Afghanistan. Yet, they will still miss their homeland. Im sitting on the fence with this because on one side I feel sorry for them as they lost everything but on the other hand I do fear radicalization. Muslims living in Japan until now have been really wonderful people and peace loving as Allah has always guided them on the actual path of Islam. I hope this remains the same…

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

Nothing learned from many other countries who made those similar big errors earlier…

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

This is just an insignificant drop in the bucket.

Japan should be letting 88,000 refugees in instead of a mere 88. Even that would be fewer than 2000 per prefecture, and with a declining population , and a generation of spoiled children coming of age, Japan is in dire need of people willing to do the jobs that young Japanese won't do.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

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