Japan Press Weekly

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2021 August 11 - 17 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

3 opposition parties agree to demand holding of Diet committee meetings over Sri Lankan woman's death at immigration control center

The Japanese Communist Party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, and the Democratic Party for the People on August 11 agreed to jointly demand disclosure of "video footage" of a Sri Lankan woman who had died at an immigration control center and the holding of Judicial Affairs Committee meetings in both chambers over this issue.

On the previous day, the Immigration Services Agency released an investigation report on Wishma Sandamali, 33, who died in March at the Nagoya Regional Immigration Services Bureau.

The report did not determine the cause of her death and stated, "It is difficult to identify specific causes resulting in her death." The report defended the Nagoya immigration office's decision to not provisionally release debilitated Wishma, saying, "It can hardly be said that the decision was unjust."

JCP member of the House of Representatives Fujino Yasufumi said, "Abuse of the immigration office's discretion and the practice of mandatory detention are the root cause of fatal cases at immigration facilities. Regarding Wishma's death, the report justified the measures taken by the Nagoya immigration office. It is necessary that an independent investigative body check the video footage of the last two weeks before the death of Wishma."

Past related articles:
> Unified efforts by opposition parties working with public movement activists block adverse revision of immigration law: Shii [May 19, 2021]
> JCP resolves to work to scrap adverse revision of immigration law in cooperation with other opposition parties [May 11, 2021]