Opposition CDP submits bill granting more rights to refugees in Japan

Japan’s largest opposition party has submitted a bill to the Lower House that would allow Ukrainians fleeing the invasion of their country by Russia to work in Japan for one year after arrival.

Current government policy allows Ukrainians who have fled their country to receive a temporary, 90-day status of residence, with refugee screening and employment during that time not allowed. The proposal by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), submitted Tuesday, would allow those from Ukraine and other countries who have left their homeland due to war or other reasons to obtain a special status of residence that gives them permission to work in Japan for one year from the date they enter the country.

“In terms of specified activities (allowed for refugees), the government has discretion over employment and other matters. The legal status is extremely unstable,” CDP deputy policy chief Takeshi Shina told reporters after the bill’s submission.

The bill would also eliminate the practice of denying such persons entry into Japan on the grounds of poverty or infectious disease.

“We’d like to allow Ukrainians to live in peace and with security as members of Japanese society while expanding support for war refugees around the world, including those from Syria and Afghanistan,” CDP Lower House member Yosuke Suzuki told reporters Tuesday.

The CDP’s proposed legislation comes after the government decided to accept Ukrainians who wish to seek refuge in Japan but do not have a passport due to circumstances outside of their control. In such situations, the government will issue a replacement travel document.

On March 2, Japan agreed to begin accepting Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion, starting with those who had friends or family in Japan. After the initial 90-day residency period, they can choose to change their status to one allowing “designated activities,” enabling them to work and stay in Japan for one year but only perform government-approved jobs.

The CDP-proposed legislation would make their status no longer subject to the discretion of the Justice Ministry and instead position it as something similar to permanent residency, with no restrictions on their activities.

Japan’s government has long faced international and domestic criticism for its strictness in granting refugee status. In 2020, 3,936 people from 67 countries — mainly Turkey, Myanmar, Nepal, Cambodia and Sri Lanka — applied for refugee status, with 91 accepted. Of these, 47 were recognized as refugees, and another 44 were granted residence status for humanitarian reasons.

While the term “refugees” is being used by many foreign governments and organizations to describe Ukrainians who have left the country, the Japanese government and some domestic media use the term “hinanmin,” which translates more closely to “evacuees.” That term is used, for example, when people are sent to evacuation shelters after a natural disaster such as an earthquake or a flood.