Japan Immigration News

Japan’s Immigration Policy and the Kurdish Population

Release Date: 2025-06-05
Media: Foreign Policy Research Institute
Summary: In a 2024 article, Maximilien Xavier Rehm discusses Japan’s shift toward more open refugee policies in response to geopolitical changes, particularly in its treatment of Ukrainians, Afghans, and Myanmarese. However, the case of Kurdish asylum seekers—mostly fleeing persecution in Turkey—is a striking exception. Despite decades of presence in Japan and increasing numbers (now estimated at 2,000–3,000, mainly in Saitama Prefecture), Kurds have been systematically denied refugee status. Only one Kurd has ever been granted asylum in Japan, and only after a successful court appeal.

Japan's restrictive asylum policy—accepting just 1.5% of applicants in 2024—keeps many Kurds in a precarious state known as “provisional release,” where they are barred from legal work or access to healthcare. Though Japan cites concerns over abuse of the system and diplomatic sensitivity with Turkey, experts and human rights advocates argue this reflects both political expediency and institutional bias.

This legal and social limbo has led many Kurds to work “illegally” in the construction sector. Rising public hostility, fueled by isolated incidents and misinformation on social media, has made Kurds a scapegoat for broader national anxieties about immigration and identity. Hate speech and xenophobic reactions have intensified, especially after a violent altercation in Kawaguchi in 2023.

Japan’s revised immigration law in 2024, which permits deportation after multiple failed asylum applications, has been widely condemned by international human rights organizations. The law and its implementation toward Kurds are seen as violating international norms, including the Refugee Convention and Convention against Torture. Ultimately, while Japan has made some humanitarian strides, the treatment of Kurdish refugees exposes deep flaws and double standards in its asylum system—raising concerns about both its human rights commitments and its long-term social stability.
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