Statement on asylum trends and level in 2012 in Japan
Japan Lawyers Network for Refugees
April 2013
According to the press release published by the Immigration Bureau of the Ministry of Justice(MOJ) in March 2013, it was revealed that the number of recognized refugees were eighteen in2012, which was the lowest in 10 years. The refugee recognition rate also hit all time low in
2012, which broke the lowest record in 2011. In addition, it was also revealed that the protection
rate (including both refugees and persons granted residence status on humanitarian grounds) in2012 marked the lowest level in 15 years.

1. The lowest number of refugee recognition in 10 years, the record lowest refugee
recognition rate, and the lowest protection rate in 15 years.
The total number of recognized refugees in 2012 was 18 persons, among which five wererecognized at the first instance and the remaining 13 at the appeal level. It was the first timesince 2003 that the number of refugees who were recognized during the year did not reach 20persons. Furthermore, three out of the five refugees who were recognized at the first instancewere actually granted refugee status after they won their lawsuits for revocation of the previousdecisions rejecting their refugee status. Substantially, the number of refugees who wererecognized by the Immigration Bureau of MOJ at the first instance was merely two persons.
The rate of refugee recognition out of the total number of cases disposed at the first instance in2012 was 0.23 percent, which even fell below 0.33 percent which was the record lowest levelmarked in 2011. In addition, the rate of refugee recognition out of the total number of cases
disposed at the appeal level was 1.30 percent, which was the lowest in 10 years. In terms ofcombined figures in the first instance and the appeal level, the rate of refugee recognition out of
the total number of cases disposed was only 0.56 percent.
On the other hand, the number of persons who were not recognized as a refugee but granted
residence status on humanitarian grounds was 112 persons. The rate of protection granted,
including 18 recognized refugees, out of the total number of cases disposed was 4.07 percent,which was the lowest in 15 years.
The number of resettlement refugees under the pilot program started in 2010 was zero in 2012,
as no applicants desired to resettle into Japan in the end.
2. A record high number of refugee applicants and massive disparities in refugee recognition
on country of origin
The number of refugee application in 2012 was 2,545, which exceeded by 678 the record
highest number marked in 2011 which was 1867. In terms of applicants’ countries of origin,
there were similar demographic characteristics from the previous year, Turkey was the largest-1-(423 persons), followed by Burma (368 persons), Nepal (320 persons), Pakistan (298 persons),and Sri Lanka (255 persons). Applicants from West African countries such as Nigeria (118persons), Ghana (104 persons) and Cameroon (58 persons) increased in the similar way as in theprevious year.
As to countries of origin for recognized refugees, 15 out of the 18 refugees recognized during
the year were from Burma, leaving only three others from countries other than Burma. Suchdisparities between countries of origin of recognized refugees continued.
3. Toward drastic improvements in refugee status determination (RSD) system in JapanThe number of recognized refugees (18 persons), the rate of refugee recognition (0.56 percent)and the rate of protection granted (4.07 percent) are extraordinarily lower than those in otherindustrial countries. Also taking in to consideration that the number of refugees recognized fromcountries with high number of applicants other than Burma was zero, it is apparent that the RSD
system is no longer functioning in Japan
Thought, the international bodies, including the Human Rights Committee, have criticizedsuch condition, the number of refugee recognition in the past years have retrograded to thestandard prior to the introduction of the refugee adjudication councilor (RAC) system. It has
become clear that the introduction of the RAC system has not necessarily contributed to theimprovement of RSD system in Japan.
To guarantee effective implementation of the Refugee Convention in Japan, the Japan
Lawyers Network for Refugees (JLNR), along with the cooperation of concerned bodies andorganizations assisting refugees, would work to urge the Government of Japan to bring about
fundamental reforms to the RSD system based on international refugee law standards.

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