The government has signed a memorandum with the nation's main lawyers association and a nonprofit organization to work together on improving the treatment of asylum seekers while they await a decision on their refugee status, Justice Minister Toshio Ogawa said Friday.
By having lawyers act as guarantors for asylum seekers and Forum for Refugees Japan, a Tokyo-based NPO, provide them with housing, immigration authorities aim to give more applicants permission for provisional stays and shorten their detention. The immigration authorities, long criticized internationally for the lengthy process of determining refugee status and prolonged detention of asylum seekers, acknowledge such problems in the memorandum and pledge to join hands with the private sector to bring about improvements. (Japan Times)
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