What You Need to Know About the “Immigration Law Changes” for Ukrainian Displaced Persons and Refugees

We hear the false rumor that “more foreigners means more crimes. This is an outright lie. It is a malicious falsehood that is far from the truth. The Japanese government is quite cold toward refugees from foreign countries from an international perspective. I even feel that it is the government that has created a society that allows these false rumors to continue.

The Japanese government is accepting “refugees” from Ukraine. Protecting civilians caught up in the war is important and time is of the essence. But at the same time, “what Japan has done” to people from other countries who have come to Japan as refugees is now becoming a major issue. In this context, on April 19, “Change the Immigration Bureau! Lawyers Network” held an emergency study session.

The Network’s lawyer, Mr. Tomo Komai, said, “It would be harmful and futile to ‘change’ the Immigration Control Act in the name of benefiting the Ukrainian people.

said Tomokai Komai, a lawyer in the network.

The harsh fate of those who come to Japan “seeking help” from abroad

For example, there are Ugandans who have had to flee their country because of political activities. In light of international treaties, they are clearly refugees, but in many cases they are not recognized as such. Some have fled from Cameroon English-speaking countries, where there is a civil war and large numbers of people are being slaughtered. They are in danger of losing their lives if they return to their homeland. However, in Japan, they are not easily recognized as refugees.

They have to wait for years, and even if they are released on provisional release, they cannot work. I know many people who are suffering because they have no money to live on a daily basis. Today, there are many people in this situation who have nothing to eat, no place to live, their bodies hurt but they cannot go to the hospital…. I believe that we must protect the lives of these people as well as the people of Ukraine,” said Attorney Komai.

Just one year ago, there was a debate on the “revision/revision of the Immigration Control Act. The government submitted an “amendment” to the Diet that would allow for the deportation or “punishment” of refugees from foreign countries who were not judged to be “dangerous” or “dangerous by returning home” while applying for refugee status. In March, a Sri Lankan woman lost her life due to the immigration authorities’ mishandling of her case.

Uishma’s death brought attention to the immigration issue and created a huge public outcry. As a result, last year’s proposed changes were repealed. Now, under the guise of accepting refugees from Ukraine, they are trying to pass a bill that includes the “amendment” that was scrapped.

If we want to accept people from Ukraine, the current law is sufficient to do so. And yet…they are trying to change the entire immigration law. They clearly have other ‘agendas’ in mind,” said attorney Shoichi Ibusuki.

The reason why they are so generous and quick only to “Ukraine” is.. .

Ukraine is under attack by Russian forces, and more than 10% of its citizens have fled the country. Neighboring Germany and other European countries are accepting them. On March 2, one week after the war started, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan also decided to accept them.

Prime Minister Kishida’s decision to accept Ukrainian refugees was unprecedented. It was so quick that it made the news as ‘lightning-fast. At that time, there were loud cries of solidarity with the Ukrainian people in Japan, and there was a great outpouring of sympathy for Ukraine. There will be an election for the upper house of the Diet in the summer, so some people think that the government responded to the people’s voice as soon as possible.

There are various “fishy” factors behind the revival of a bill that has already been repealed.

The “extension of help to the people of Ukraine is, of course, the right thing to do,” said a reporter from the political section. But it angers me that the government is using this as an excuse to reintroduce a bill that would set back the treatment of refugees displaced from other countries. The government’s proposal is, to put it mildly, a ‘fire sale.

Consider the reasons for the “cold shoulder” to foreigners

Why is the Japanese government, and even some Japanese citizens, so “cold” toward foreigners?

The problem of refugees is serious, and the situation of technical intern trainees is also harsh.

The Japanese economy would not be able to turn around without foreign labor. People working at convenience stores late at night, people working as technical intern trainees at farmers in need of labor, they are all supporting this country.

There are people who say, “The presence of foreigners makes public safety worse.

There is no data that shows that crime increases as the number of foreigners increases. In fact, the number of crimes committed by foreigners is ‘decreasing. It is also a mistake to say that the reason why people do not have status of residence is because they have a criminal record. There are also figures showing that abuse of refugee applications is only about 2% of all cases. These are all findings by public agencies. Yet, malicious falsehoods are being perpetrated. Moreover, people in positions of authority sometimes spread such falsehoods with impunity. It is hard to imagine why Japan is so cold to foreigners … except as a result of the administration’s intentions,” said Attorney Takahashi.

It would be an important role for the international community to protect those who have fled from Ukraine and all other countries to Japan. At present, there are 664 people who have fled Ukraine to Japan. These people will be issued “displaced persons certificates.

Japan will change when the solidarity that has been focused on the Ukrainian “displaced persons” is widely extended to the people of other countries. A society in which not only the strong can see the “good eye,” but a society in which everyone can live comfortably can be created. The true value of this country is now being tested.