Japan: Procedures to claim refugee status
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 August 1998 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | JPN29814.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Japan: Procedures to claim refugee status, 1 August 1998, JPN29814.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aaf81f.html [accessed 27 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The following information was provided by the Ottawa Branch of the United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees (UNHCR) in a 11 August 1998 fax.
Japan is a signatory to the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol relating to the status of Refugees. The Immigration Bureau is the government agency responsible for refugee status determination in Japan. Asylum seekers must submit a written application to the Bureau, generally within two months of arrival, and the application may be accepted or rejected on the basis of the information provided therein. Although an informal appeal procedure exists, the asylum seeker must establish the existence of new evidence which was earlier unavailable. Questions of law are not entertained during the appeal procedure.
Asylum seekers who have no valid immigration status are often kept in detention during the resolution of their claim.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees (UNHCR), Ottawa Branch. 11 August 1998. Written communication.
