Japan Immigration News

‘My kids are too scared to go outside’: Kurdish migrants face hostility as Japan wrestles with demographic crisis

Release Date: 2025-09-29
Media: The Guardian
Summary: A Kurdish man in Japan, Ali, fears returning to Turkey but says life in Japan is worsening due to rising hostility toward migrants. His children face bullying at school, and one son was assaulted in a park by a man shouting anti-foreigner abuse.

Kawaguchi and Warabi, home to about 3,000 Kurds, have become focal points in Japan’s debate over immigration. Initially welcomed, the community now faces xenophobia, fueled by a 2023 law change allowing deportation after repeated refugee applications, social media-driven anti-immigrant sentiment, and the rise of far-right groups.

Kurds face harassment, racist graffiti, and online abuse, though some legal victories against hate groups have been won. Despite applying three times, Ali has little chance of refugee recognition—Japan approved only 190 refugees last year, almost none Kurds. His youngest son’s Japan birth may help his case, but his family lives in fear, especially after the violent attack on his child.

In the broader context, Japan’s record-high foreign population (3.8 million, ~3%) and labor shortages have made immigration a hot political issue, with ruling party leaders vowing tougher controls amid growing public unease.
Tags: Kurdish

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