May 17, 2023

Discussions on opposition parties-proposed bills aimed at improving immigration control policies and protecting asylum seekers began on May 16 at a House of Councilors Judicial Affairs Committee meeting.

The two bills were cosponsored by the Japanese Communist Party, Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Social Democratic party, “Reiwa Shinsengumi” party, and the Upper House political group Okinawa Whirlwind. They submitted the bills to counter the government-proposed revision to the Immigration Control Law which tramples on refugees’ human rights.

The Upper House committee also entered discussions on the government’s revision bill.

At the meeting, JCP Upper House member Nihi Sohei explained that the opposition-submitted bill on the protection of refugees will establish an independent committee which will decide whether to grant refugee status to applicants.

JCP lawmaker Yamazoe Taku pointed out that under the current law, refugee recognition is largely left to the discretion of the Immigration Service Agency, which leads to unfair and discriminatory immigration administration. He said that in order to fix this problem, the vital thing is that refuge protection should be administered separately from the immigration control structure in line with the Refugee Convention and international organizations’ recommendations. “The opposition parties drafted the bill from this point of view,” Yamazoe added.

Past related article:
> Immigration control bill which tramples on asylum seekers' human rights passed in Lower House [May 10, 2023]