Number of permits on humanitarian grounds should be increased
(From The Japan Times March 7 issue)

要約
特別在留許可をより多くの難民に

The Justice Ministry announced two weeks ago that a record 501 foreigners were granted residence permits on humanitarian grounds in Japan in 2009. This is a step in the right direction from the 1990s, when the number of permits could often be counted on one hand. However, the number granted official refugee status in Japan was only 30, down by half from 2008. With a total of 1,388 people seeking refugee status in Japan in 2009, the number of permits needs to be increased and the application process streamlined.

The largest problem is finding means of subsistence because waiting applicants do not have permission to work. While they wait, sometimes for years, access to medical care, education and social services can be a struggle, not to mention the difficulties of adapting to Japanese culture.

As with much of government decision-making, the process to assess applications is insufficiently transparent. Perhaps the government is hung up on habitual objections to letting in foreign residents, in general, due to such concerns as competition for scarce jobs, the crime rate or burdens on social services. However, these fears hardly apply to the majority of refugees.

The permits are for one year, which does not really resolve their status for the long term. Appealing rejections is difficult since finding legal representation over a period of time is expensive. Surely, some refugee claims must be rejected, but unless the reasons are stated openly and directly, progress cannot be easily made. In the meantime, many needy people are left in limbo.

The Japanese government ratified the Refugee Convention and Protocol in 1981. It has been generous with money, but much less generous with providing sanctuary to those in need inside the security of its borders. Improvements need to take place not only in the bureaucratic procedures but also in society. A more humane and generous attitude to this problem should be encouraged. Safety nets for applicants, smoother procedures and greater awareness of their plight would be a start.

法務省によると、2009年に人道上の特別在留が認められた外国人は501人、一桁だった1990年代より増えたが、難民申請数1338人中、正式な認定は30人で、前年比半減だ。認定数増加と申請過程の効率化が求められる。

申請中は就労不可のため、医療、教育、社会福祉の機会を得るのは難しく、日本文化にも馴染みにくい。

申請の検討過程は透明性が低い。就職競争、犯罪率増加や社会福祉負担への懸念から、外国人の居住拒否が習慣化しているのかもしれない。

人道上の特別在留の在留期間は1年で、長期的な問題解決にはならず、法的代理人確保の問題から、難民不認定への不服申し立ても難しい。

難民に対する人道的で寛大な態度が奨励されるべきだ。申請者の安全網強化、手続きの円滑化、難民の窮状に関する認識の改善から始めてはどうか。