Detention Center or the Director of the Regional Immigration Bureau (hereinafter referred to collectively as “Directors”).

Over the course of nine months from July 2014 to March 2015, a total of 13 inspections and 92 interviews took place in the facilities throughout Japan, and 47 opinions were given to the directors of the facilities. On receiving the opinions from the committee, the directors promptly review them, and endeavor to take measures where possible.

Committee members, who are selected from people who have a reputable character, possess deep insight and are committed to improving the operations of the immigration detention centers, are appointed as part-time officers by the Minister of Justice. A maximum of no more than ten members may be appointed for each committee from experts from diverse fields, such as academic experts, legal experts, medical experts, NGO workers, the staff of international organizations, and representatives of the local community.

In addition, a summary of the opinions given by the committees and the measures taken by the Directors based on those opinions are published each year pursuant to the provisions of the Immigration Control Act.

## Section 4 ☐ Promotion of the Deportation of Deportees

## 1 Implementation of Safe and Reliable Deportation of Deportation Evaders

Recently, there is the problem of an increasing number of foreign nationals who have been issued with a deportation order but who attempt to evade deportation (deportation evaders) because of work in Japan or other reasons.

The Immigration Bureau tries to convince these deportation evaders to return to their country of their own volition, but if they still attempt to evade deportation, they will ultimately be deported on a regular flight accompanied by escort officers based on the provisions of law or mass deportation may be implemented using chartered flights for the purpose of safer and more secure deportation.

In addition, some foreign nationals who attempt to evade deportation are often anxious about their lives after return, and with regard to foreign nationals who are deemed to require humanitarian consideration, programs are implemented for voluntary return and reintegration support with the cooperation of the Japan office of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

## ② Implementation of Mass Deportation Using Chartered Flights

Although we endeavor to repeatedly convince deportation evaders to return to their country of their own volition, if they still attempt to evade deportation, they will ultimately be deported on a regular flight accompanied by escort officer based on the provisions of law.

However, deportation using a regular flight can cause a disturbance, for example, the deportee might start shouting in the cabin, and there are cases where the deportation cannot be implemented owing to the decision of the captain to deny boarding, or alternatively, even if the detainee is able to board the aircraft, there is the situation that a tremendous burden may be imposed on the private airlines, such as the detainee bothering other ordinary passengers.

Therefore, from 2013, we have been implementing mass deportations using charter flights where safe and reliable deportation can be carried out without boarding being denied by the captain of the aircraft, and as of the end of FY 2015, a total of 175 foreign nationals from five countries have been deported in