Japan Immigration News

Government ordered to compensate overstayers who got sick in detention

Release Date: 2025-06-19
Media: Japan Times
Summary: A Tokyo court ordered the Japanese government to pay ¥1.2 million in damages to two foreign men—an Iranian and a Turkish national—who became ill during prolonged detention at an immigration facility. They had sued for ¥30 million, claiming their health deteriorated due to arbitrary and extended confinement.

The court found their detention violated both Japan’s immigration laws and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, emphasizing the government failed to respect individual rights. The judge ruled that immigration authorities acted unlawfully by ignoring international human rights standards.

The plaintiffs, who were held multiple times between 2016 and 2020 and developed depression, are currently on temporary release and seeking refugee status. Their lawyer called the ruling “epoch-making” for applying international treaty standards to domestic immigration practices.
Tags: Court

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