Tokyo Report

Japan’s Refugee Applications Exceed 10,000 for the Second Year Running

Recent Features

Tokyo Report

Japan’s Refugee Applications Exceed 10,000 for the Second Year Running

As asylum seeker applications in Japan skyrocket, the government is tightening its notoriously tough refugee policy.

Japan’s Refugee Applications Exceed 10,000 for the Second Year Running

Foreign residents rest in front of the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau in Tokyo (May 25, 2017).

Credit: AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi

On Tuesday, Japan’s Ministry of Justice released a preliminary report showing an 80 percent surge in the number of asylum seeker applications received in 2017. Last year marked a record high of 19,628 applications — a drastic increase from the 10,901 applications received the year before and the highest figure yet since government records began in 1982.

A breakdown of the applications by nationality shows more than 80 percent came from the Asia-Pacific, with only 1 percent coming from conflict zones in the Middle East and Africa. Philippine nationals accounted for the majority of applications with 4,895 — three and a half times more than in 2016. Trailing closely behind was Vietnam with 3,116 applications, followed by Sri Lanka (2,226) and Indonesia (2,038).

[...]
Dreaming of a career in the Asia-Pacific?
Try The Diplomat's jobs board.
Find your Asia-Pacific job