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The Mainichi
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Driven by war, persecution, asylum seekers in Japan still far from securing freedom
TOKYO -- While refugee applicants in Japan who have been ordered deported can apply for "provisional release" from detention, they are not allowed to travel across prefectural borders nor can they join the national health insurance system or work in the country. According to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan, there were 12,373 people who applied for refugee status in this country in 2024, of which only 190 were granted it. This reporter followed people on provisional release while they waited for, with a glimmer of hope, recognition as refugees. Ruby (a pseudonym), an asylum seeker from Sri Lanka, is on temporary release after arriving in Japan in 2002. He served as a bodyguard for a key figure of a political party he supported in his country, but was attacked by an adversary force while traveling by bus to work as a guard in 1996, and underwent surgery on his right arm for gunshot wounds. Sensing his life was in danger, he sought refuge in Japan. He is hoping to continue staying here, saying the force that assaulted him is still in operation in his country. Under the revised Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act that came into effect in June 2024, foreign nationals can apply for refugee status no more than twice in principle. Deportation is suspended during refugee recognition procedures. As Ruby's third refugee application was not granted, he could be deported anytime. He has moved from Arrupe Refugee Center, a shelter in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, where he lived for five years, to a welfare facility in the Tokyo suburban city of Machida. Once every month, he turns up at the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau in the capital's Minato Ward to go thorough procedures for renewing his provisional release status, but due to fears of possible deportation at the time, he is losing sleep night after night. Odanibe Ovie Lucky, a 49-year-old Nigerian man applying for refugee status for a third time, is also living in fear of deportation. After participating in an antigovernment rally in Nigeria, he left the country in 2000. He currently lives in Japan with his 47-year-old Japanese wife. The couple met in 2016, when Lucky spoke to her at a park in the Ikebukuro district of Tokyo. As his wife had never been abroad, her first impression of him was "scary." But after talking with him, she was attracted by his kind and cheerful nature, and found herself going out with him. In March 2017, Lucky was detained at an immigration facility. "I want to support him steadily," she thought, and filed a marriage report on her own that May. Although her husband was released in December, she developed depression due to fears that he could be detained again, leaving them separated. While the wife is on welfare, it is difficult to cover the living expenses for the two of them. "We've been married for eight years. She's been with me no matter how hard a time I was going through. I want to make her feel at ease, even if only a little. I've got no other choice but to keep appealing (for my asylum) without giving up," Lucky told the Mainichi Shimbun. A Yugoslavian asylum seeker, Florim, 55, is living in Arrupe Refugee Center while on provisional release and waiting for his second refugee application, which he filed in 2019, to be accepted. Florim had his parents killed in front of him during the civil war in Yugoslavia. As if driven away, he moved from one country to another, including Hungary, Poland, Germany and the Netherlands. Desiring to live outside Europe to avoid coming across former Yugoslavia citizens, he decided to settle in Japan in 2000 when he was 29. Amid the chaos, Florim wasn't carrying a passport with him and was detained at Narita Airport for allegedly using a fake passport upon entry. He was kept in detention at an immigration facility until 2009, and developed post-traumatic stress disorder there. Later at a house in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, that was arranged for him by a refugee support group, Florim got into a panic at night and attempted to take his own life. With no certificate of his origin, and not knowing which country he belongs to following the breakup of former Yugoslavia, he remains stateless. He continues to undergo treatment for PTSD in Japan. As he was an Albanian resident, he is terrified that he may not be able to receive proper treatment if he returns home. After spending many years in Japan, he has a trusted partner but cannot marry due to his own statelessness. "I have no country to go back to, and the evil effects of the civil war still linger on. I hope Japan will be my last country to live in, and want to experience a free life here," he told the Mainichi, as he wishes for his refugee application to be granted. Mimi (a pseudonym), a Myanmarese woman who came to Japan over a decade ago, lived in Arrupe Refugee Center around the same time as Ruby. She was subsequently given a residency status for specified activities in June 2022 after spending some time on provisional release. She currently works as a full-time caregiver at a welfare facility in Kamakura. Affectionately called "Mimi-chan" by colleagues and users at the facility, she is known as a mood maker and for lively expressions on her face. She recalls that the best moment was when an employee told her, "You're one of our staff members." She questioned, "I don't understand why the (government) response is different when Ruby is a fellow refugee. I want them to at least abolish provisional release and create a system allowing asylum seekers to work. If they can live independently, they can also pay taxes." (Japanese original by Yuki Miyatake, Photo and Video Department)
The Sun
20-05-2025
- The Sun
Japan to launch prescreening for visa-free visitors in 2028
JAPAN will implement a prescreening system in 2028 for visa-free travellers before their arrival, as part of efforts to boost tourism. The prescreening system will be modelled on the United States' Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA), according to Japan's Ministry of Justice, Kyodo News reported. The ESTA system was introduced in 2001 following the September 11 terrorist attacks. Other countries, such as Canada, have also adopted similar systems modelled after ESTA. Travellers from countries with visa exemptions for short-term stays in Japan will be required to submit personal and travel information — including their name, purpose of stay, and destinations — at least several days before arrival. With this system, the Immigration Services Agency of Japan will be able to assess the data provided in advance. Visa-exempt travellers may be denied boarding for flights to Japan if they are found to have criminal records or have stayed in Japan illegally. The agency is also considering measures to improve the efficiency of the prescreening process, with a focus on digital technology and the elimination of 'in-person procedures', as quoted. Japan's Foreign Ministry states that citizens of 71 countries, including the United States and South Korea, are currently exempt from obtaining visas for short-term stays in Japan. In 2024, Japan recorded 36.87 million foreign tourists, marking a 47.1% increase compared to the previous year. The Japanese government is targeting 60 million foreign visitors by 2030.
The Sun
20-05-2025
- The Sun
Japan to implement prescreening for visa-exempted travellers in 2028
JAPAN will implement a prescreening system in 2028 for visa-free travellers before their arrival, as part of efforts to boost tourism. The prescreening system will be modelled on the United States' Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA), according to Japan's Ministry of Justice, Kyodo News reported. The ESTA system was introduced in 2001 following the September 11 terrorist attacks. Other countries, such as Canada, have also adopted similar systems modelled after ESTA. Travellers from countries with visa exemptions for short-term stays in Japan will be required to submit personal and travel information — including their name, purpose of stay, and destinations — at least several days before arrival. With this system, the Immigration Services Agency of Japan will be able to assess the data provided in advance. Visa-exempt travellers may be denied boarding for flights to Japan if they are found to have criminal records or have stayed in Japan illegally. The agency is also considering measures to improve the efficiency of the prescreening process, with a focus on digital technology and the elimination of 'in-person procedures', as quoted. Japan's Foreign Ministry states that citizens of 71 countries, including the United States and South Korea, are currently exempt from obtaining visas for short-term stays in Japan. In 2024, Japan recorded 36.87 million foreign tourists, marking a 47.1% increase compared to the previous year. The Japanese government is targeting 60 million foreign visitors by 2030.
Straits Times
19-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Japan to launch pre-screening of visa-free travellers in FY 2028
A record 36.87 million foreign travellers visited Japan in 2024, up 47.1 per cent from the previous year. PHOTO: AFP TOKYO - Japan will launch pre-arrival screening of visa-free travellers in fiscal 2028, as the government aims to boost its booming inbound tourism further, according to the Justice Ministry. The government is looking to raise the efficiency of the process by introducing screening modelled on the United States' Electronic System for Travel Authorisation, the ministry said in April. A record 36.87 million foreign travellers visited Japan in 2024, up 47.1 per cent from the previous year, and as tourism is a main pillar in Japan's growth strategy, the government aims to lift the number to 60 million in 2030. Under the new system, travellers from countries with visa exemptions for short-term stays in Japan will be required to provide travel and personal information, such as their names, purposes of stay and locations, at least several days before arrival. The Immigration Services Agency of Japan will be able to examine the travellers' data in advance, and if they have any criminal history or record of illegal stays in Japan, the agency may not allow them to board planes to Japan, the ministry said. According to the Foreign Ministry, nationals of 71 countries and regions, including the US and South Korea, are exempted from obtaining visas for short-term stays. The US established the Esta system in 2001 following the terrorist attacks of Sept 11 that year. A number of other countries, including Canada, have since introduced similar systems. KYODO NEWS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Mainichi
19-05-2025
- Business
- The Mainichi
Japan to launch prescreening of visa-free travelers in FY 2028
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan will launch prearrival screening of visa-free travelers in fiscal 2028, as the government aims to boost its booming inbound tourism further, according to the Justice Ministry. The government is looking to raise the efficiency of the process by introducing screening modeled on the United States' Electronic System for Travel Authorization, the ministry said last month. A record 36.87 million foreign travelers visited Japan in 2024, up 47.1 percent from the previous year, and as tourism is a main pillar in Japan's growth strategy, the government aims to lift the number to 60 million in 2030. Under the new system, travelers from countries with visa exemptions for short-term stays in Japan will be required to provide travel and personal information, such as their names, purposes of stay and locations, at least several days before arrival. The Immigration Services Agency of Japan will be able to examine the travelers' data in advance, and if they have any criminal history or record of illegal stays in Japan, the agency may not allow them to board planes to Japan, the ministry said. According to the Foreign Ministry, nationals of 71 countries and regions, including the United States and South Korea, are exempted from obtaining visas for short-term stays. The United States established the ESTA system in 2001 following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 that year. A number of other countries including Canada have since introduced similar systems. The agency is considering taking additional measures for more efficient screening operations, such as utilizing digital technologies and eliminating in-person procedures.
