Situations of Afghan Refugees in Japan

 

Since the September 11th terrorist attacks in U.S.A, we have more opportunities to receive information concerning the situations of Afghan refugees in and out of Japan, through reports on newspapers and TV. ISSJ offers domestic assistance and counseling to refugees and asylum seekers in Japan with the commission from UNHCR. Here, we would like to share with you the information on the situation of an Afghan asylum seeker as an example, through the view of ISSJ social worker who offer them individual assistance.

This Afghan male in his late 20's belongs to a minority people called Hazarra in Afghanistan. He was living in peace with his family working in small almond and apple plantation, until the Soviet Union invaded and attacked the country. After the Soviet Union withdrew from Afghanistan, the power game between the peoples in Afghanistan became severe, causing the number of robberies and murders to increase.

The Hazarra people like the others, had their own battle troupe that forced each family give a male family member to join the troupe. If the member refuses they would cut off the family members' arms or demand a large sum of money from them. His brothers who refused to kill or join the troupe, went missing after leaving home. His another brother, joined the group to protect his family, and died a month later. And it was his turn next, so he decided to escape as his parents did not want more of their son's lives to be wasted. While he was in hiding in the mountains of Afghanistan, he found out that he was being chased by the battle troupe. He escaped to Pakistan. But he being a Hazarra, was looked by Pashtouns as their enemy, and felt he was in danger. He paid money to a broker to escape from Pakistan and arrived in Japan. A while after he left Afghanistan, he found out through his acquaintance that his mother had died.

He applied for the refugee status in Japan which was refused. His appeal was refused also, without the reason notified to him. Currently, he is in the middle of a petiting for annulment of repatriation, but unfortunately a repatriation order has been made, and he is detentained at the Immigration Center at present. "I have not done anything bad, so why do they put me behind bars like I am a criminal? Do I have no human rights?" he asks his social worker.

We sincerely hope, that Japan as a country which ratified the Refugee Convention 20 years ago, would give consideration the refugees and asylum seekers in Japan.