Mar 11 (Nikkei) - As millions flee Russian bombing in Ukraine, Japan has pledged to take in some of them to help ease the brewing humanitarian crisis, a test for the country's refugee policy that admits just 1% of asylum-seekers.
"We will first accept those with family and friends in Japan, but we will engage in a further response from a humanitarian standpoint as well," Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters last week. He relayed his stance to Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki of Poland, which has received the bulk of Ukrainian refugees so far.
As of Tuesday, over 2.1 million Ukrainians had fled to neighboring countries, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Filippo Grandi, the U.N. refugee chief, has called exodus "the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II."
Members of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which is typically hesitant to accept refugees over security and other concerns, were on board, calling for swift action. "The prime minister's office overrode the concerns among Japanese bureaucrats," a source familiar with the matter said.
But Japan has a less than solid track record. Of 3,936 new asylum applications received in 2020, just 47 -- or 1.19% -- were approved. The rate was even lower at 0.42% in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic.
In contrast, Canada approved 56% of its asylum claims in 2019, while the U.K. approved 46%, according to the Japan Association for Refugees.
It is still unclear how many Ukrainians would seek asylum in Japan. The tally could vary widely depending on how long the war lasts.
About 1,900 Ukrainian citizens currently live in Japan. If just one family member seeks asylum here for every 10 residents, that alone would equal 190 -- almost four times as many as Japan approved in all of 2020. ...continue reading
