UNHCR: Deep concern over refugee deportation from Japan
18 January 2005
TOKYO, 18 Jan. - The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, is deeply concerned over Japan's unprecedented deportation of two Turkish Kurds recognized as refugees under UNHCR's Statute. Japanese authorities deported the two refugees to Turkey on Tuesday, Jan. 18, despite last-minute appeals by UNHCR and human rights groups.
In a note verbale sent earlier Tuesday to the Minister of Justice, UNHCR urged the government not to send back these refugees, pointing out that such a move would represent an act of "refoulement" prohibited under international refugee law.
UNHCR said it had taken steps to seek third country resettlement for the refugees. The persons deported are a Turkish Kurd and his 20-year-old son. His wife and three other children are facing the same fate. UNHCR considers the deportation contrary to Japan's obligations under international law. The deportation is unprecedented and contrasts with Japan's humanitarian assistance towards refugees and disaster victims abroad.
The two persons deported had exhausted all legal remedies to remain in Japan and were considered as refugees by UNHCR. The refugee agency had made previous interventions on their behalf.
Until now, the Japanese authorities have provided UNHCR with the possibility to seek durable solutions for such refugees, including local integration or, in some cases, third country resettlement in accordance with the refugee agency's mandate. The refoulement of these refugees represents a disturbing departure from that practice.
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Overview of Statelessness: International and Japanese Context, by Abe Kohki, Professor of International Law, Kanagawa University Law School, Jokohama, Japan
Apr 2010 ... ... Twenty-seven countries sent representatives, and five countries including Japan attended as ... Refugee Convention), the principle of non-refoulement (Article 33 of the Convention), and a ...... -
UNHCR Global Appeal 2004 - East Asia and the Pacific Regional Overview
1 Dec 2003 ... Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Indonesia Japan Lao People’s Democratic Republic Malaysia ... fundamental protection principles of non-refoulement and asylum, and to facilitate the ...... -
Yearbook of the United Nations 1981: Part 1 Section 2 Chapter 21 - Refugees
1981 ... ... Denmark noted the success of voluntary repatriation pro- grammes, while Japan welcomed programmes of ... that they are ex- posed to the threat of refoulement, arbitrary detention and physical violence, ...... -
UNHCR Global Appeal 2010-2011 - East Asia and the Pacific subregional overview
1 Dec 2009 ... UNHCR offices in Australia Japan the Republic of Korea and the Hong Kong SAR (China) will promote ... The Office will also continue to advocate for non-refoulement and will try to ensure that refugees ...... -
UNHCR Global Appeal 2008-2009 - East Asia and the Pacific subregional overview
1 Dec 2007 ... ... UNHCR offices in Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the Hong Kong SAR, China, will promote ... Though the authorities respect the principle of non-refoulement, asylum-seekers are still subject to ...... -
Measures to be taken in pursuit of solutions and issues that cut across all four substantive sections of the comprehensive refugee responses, and overarching issues
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Mali Situation Update No. 7, 4 July 2012
4 Jul 2012 ... European Union, Finland, France, Japan, Switzerland, the United States and the UN Population Fund. ... There are no reports of refoulement or people being turned away from the borders to neighboring ...... -
Statement by Erika Feller, Assistant High Commissioner - Protection, UNHCR at the INTERTANKO Annual Tanker Event, Tokyo, Japan, 14 May 2009
14 May 2009 ... ... Here in Japan, Mitsui OSK Lines has regularly helped us. Your image of refugees is most likely ... One clear if untoward result of this has been, aside from refoulement or return of refugees back to ...... -
Draft overview of implementation of pledges
1 Aug 2013 ... ... codifying Australia’s complementary non- refoulement obligations under international human rights ... determination process commenced in March 2012. Japan Pledges to improve refugee status determination ......