Since that time the number of persons recognized as refugees in Japan amounts to no more than 598; 307 of these originate from Myanmar. In 2011 the Japanese Ministry of Justice dealt with over 2,999 applications (2,119 first applications and 880 appeals). Of these, 21 were recognized: in 248 further cases a residence permit was issued on humanitarian grounds. Thus in 2011 only 0.7% of applications for refugee status were granted. The year 2011 therefore represents a steady continuation of the preceding cautious trend in Japanese refugee policy.
As in the field of integration, in that of refuge and asylum too Japan is a "belated nation". Japan did not ratify the UN Convention on Human Rights until 1981 – thirty years after it had come into force.
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Prof. Dr. Gabriele Vogt is professor for Japanese Studies at the Asia-Africa-Institute of the University of Hamburg. Her research focuses on socio-scientific research on Japan and covers not only international migration to Japan but also Japan’s demographic chance and topics of political participation.
E-Mail Link: gabriele.vogt@uni-hamburg.de