Refugee Recognition
A refugee should have a ‘Proof of Persecution’ in order to be recognized by Immigration Bureau. Unstable reasons like vague freedom of expression violations cannot be taken into account. A solid threat of violence or danger should be present in the case. Attacks on you or your family, arrests, disappearance, confiscation of property, deprivation of employment and education, torture, ethnic cleansing, forced conversion etc usually stand as valid cases. The more evidence the refugee has, the more likely it is that he or she can be recognized.
Most of the applications to Japan come from Asian countries and not many come from the Middle East or Africa. Japan is located in the far east and its majority non-English speaking population are the main reasons for its low popularity among refugees. Here are the top 6 countries which are seeking asylum in Japan as per the 2013 census:
1. Turkey
2. Nepal
3. Myanmar
4. Sri Lanka
5. Pakistan
6. India
Japan is a global human rights custodian. It is the second largest donor to UNHCR after the United States. It is, in fact, the only Asian country to join the UNHCR resettlement program. For more information, contact the Japan Association for Refugees or the Immigration Bureau of Japan.