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Yukiko Abe May 11, 2010 at York University

The Refugees in Japan: Launching a Resettlement Pilot Program for the Third Country Refugees in 2010 and Future Prospective. Yukiko Abe May 11, 2010 at York University yukikoabe.waseda@gmail.com. Refugees from Burma in Japan.

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Yukiko Abe May 11, 2010 at York University

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  1. The Refugees in Japan: Launching a Resettlement Pilot Program for the Third Country Refugees in 2010 and Future Prospective Yukiko Abe May 11, 2010 at York University yukikoabe.waseda@gmail.com Refugees from Burma in Japan

  2. Launching the resettlement program in 2010 Contents ・A three-year pilot program from 2010 ・30 Burmese refugees in Mae la camp in Thailand will settle in Japan a year ・Refugees are treated as Long term residents in Japan ・Japanese government officials started interviewing the applicants in the cam in February 2010

  3. History and the Japan’s Refugee Policy 1975: The fall of Saigon there were massive wave of refugees in Japan 1981: Japan ratified the UN Refugee Convention 1982: Japan revised the immigration law 　⇒　 Start to accept Indo-Chinese refugees & Convention refugees 2002: Shenyang incident (May 8) pushed the Japanese refugee awareness and policy into the limelight 2005:Japan revised the immigration law 2010: Japan lunches a Program for Third County Resettlement Refugees ⇒　Start to accept refugees from refugee camps in Thailand. It is a pilot program for 3 yeas and each year accepts 30 refugees.

  4. The border of East and West during the cold war? Opposite flow from west to east From 1954 to 1984, the Japanese government sent  93,340 Korean people (mainly from North Korea) out to their countries

  5. Number of refugees in Japan(Source: Ministry of Justice, 2010) ・Indo-Chinese Refugees There are 11,319 people from 1978 to 2006. They are not included in convention refugees ・Convention Refugees Only 538 people out of 8,685 applicants were accepted as convention refugees from 1982 to 2009. The acceptance rate on average is6.2 % ・The Third Country Resettlement Refugees Total of 90 people will come to Japan in three years from 2010 ・Others 882 people received special permission status in Japan

  6. Petitions for convention refugee status and the acceptance situation in Japan (Source: Ministry of Justice, 2009 )

  7. Application provided with protection top 10 countries From 1982 to 2005 (Source: Ministry of Justice,2006)

  8. language& culture courses for convention refugees(Refugee Assistance Headquarter) Language ・572 units (45 minutes per one unites) Culture & Life guidance ・120 units *Two options: 1)Intensive Day course (6 months) 2)Night course (1 year) *Offer the program only in Tokyo *Counseling on job-hunting *Offering financial support and dormitories while refugees take this course Participation

  9. problems on refugees’ settlement in Japan • Many of refugees in Japan work as temporary workers or do self-employed business • After the financial crisis in 2008, many refugees were quickly laid off because of their low job security ・Because of low Japanese language skills and few official supports, they face difficulties in Japanese society. Many refugee have not taken the language course by the government because of its non-flexibility ・Most Japanese are not educated about the existence of refugees in Japan and refugees’ original countries ・Insufficient Data on refugees ⇒It is required that the government provide refugees ofproper settlement program and environment

  10. Why did the Japanese government decide to launch the resettlement program ? ・UNHCR’s policy to encourage the resettlement program ・A Former UNHCR Tokyo representative, Saburo Takizawa’s great efforts ・A Former minister of Justice, KunioHatoyama’s good understanding ・Shenyang incident on May 8, 2002 ・The death of the Japanese journalist in Burma in 2007 ・ A formative attitude on refugee issues by local media

  11. Policies making process of the resettlement program and the schedule May, 2002: Shyenyang Incident January,2007: Saburo Takizawa assumed his duties in UNHCR Tokyo representative September,2007: The government set up a study group to examine about the resettlement program December,2008: The government officially announced to launch the resettlement program ・A three-year pilot program 　　　　　　　　　　　・30 Myanmar’s refugees per year from camps in Thai Feburary,2010 ・The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will secure 790 million yen for domestic refugee issues in fiscal 2010 budget up 490 million or 69.2% a year earlier 　　　　　　　　　　　・The government starts interviewing the applicants in a refugee camp September, 2010 ・30 refugees will settle in Japan. 　　　　　　　　　　　・They are treated as long term residents in Japan ・The government provide language and culture trainings, houses, living expenses in 180 days after the refugee’s arrival ⇒It is required that the Japanese government provide refugees withproper resettlement program and environment. The government also must design a social integration policy.

  12. What does the new ruling party, the Democratic Party (DPJ)of Japan plan ? ・The DPJ will expand the resettlement program after 3-year pilot program ・The Ministry of Foreign Affairs secured 790 million yen($7.9 million )for domestic refugee issues in fiscal 2010 budget up 490 million yen or 69.2% a year earlier ※ More than $1 million out of $7.9 million is used for 30 resettlement refugees in 2010 ※ Japan’s budget for UNHCR in 2010 is 5.3 billion yen ($53 million) • Justice Minister met convention refugees to hear the refugee issues A member of the House of Councilors from the DPJ, Azuma Konno

  13. How do the 30 refugees settle in Japan? • The government official interviewed candidates in refugee camp in Thai in February 2010 (Only 40 refugees applied for the interview) • 30 candidates will take 3 or 4 week training pre-departure and have full medical examination in the camp in Thailand • 30 refugee will come to Japan this summer. They will settle in the Tokyo metropolitan area first and 6 month language and culture training ・They are expected to be “independent” after 6 month training

  14. Concerns: • How are these refugees independent in Japan after 6 months training? • Social integration policy as well as refugee policy is required • Developing community understanding of refugee issues and multicultural aspects is needed • Workable law to prevent racial discrimination and to embrace diversity is needed • No local governments’ commitment on refugee issues • Official data on refugee situations in Japan should be collected properly • Japan must change itself a country where many refugee want to settle

  15. Questions 1) What kind of settlement programs help refugees to become citizens mentally and socially in a new country? 2) What is the important component for refugees to become citizens mentally and socially in a new country? 3)How does the multiculturalism address the refugee policy? 4) How do people improve their understanding of refugees and multicultural issues?

  16. Thank you very much • Japan is shifting to multicultural society (pictures were taken in Japan)-

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