There are refugees who flee to Japan and seek protection for various reasons, such as "I was living in Syria, but my home and workplace were bombed," "I was a student supporting the democracy movement against the military regime, but I was almost arrested myself," "I was a member of a minority and was put into forced labor because my religion is different from the majority and the government denied my citizenship." In 2021, about 2,000 people applied for refugee status in Japan. 74 were recognized as refugees. While 40,000 are recognized in Germany and 20,000 in the U.S., we believe this number is far too low. One possible reason is that the Immigration Services Agency (hereinafter referred to as 'Immigration Agency') is in charge of the implementation of refugee status recognition, and the Agency has a strong perspective of managing (policing) refugees rather than protecting (helping) them. Moreover, this is probably due to the absence of political will and the weakness of public opinion to support it.

　Established in 1999, the Japan Association for Refugees, a certified NPO, has had an office in Tokyo for 20 years and has been engaged in comprehensive activities such as support for refugees who have fled to Japan, awareness-raising, and policy advocacy, to create a society where people can live together with refugees. The number of refugees we have been involved with is now 7,000 people from 70 countries. Although we have been dealing with each refugee individually and providing support to the best of our ability, we are not able to provide sufficient support to all of them, and this is something that we struggle with as we continue our activities.

　Refugees apply for refugee status at the Immigration Agency, and the screening process takes, on average in 2021, 4 years and 5 months. In the meantime, many of the asylum seekers are living in Tokyo or nearby prefectures. Only about 350 are receiving government assistance, and most other asylum seekers are waiting for the results of the screening process while working independently. However, many refugees are not recognized in Japan and are unable to return to their home countries due to the threat of persecution. But if they reapply, their status of residence is not renewed, and they become illegal overstayers. Since they are on provisional release, they are without work permits and receive very limited public assistance, making their situation more difficult.

　Such a vulnerable situation has been further impacted by the pandemic. In this section, I would like to discuss cases of provisional release and other cases of ineligibility for residency. As mentioned above, many of them are unable to work, join the national health insurance system, and have little or no access to public livelihood support. Many of them have managed to survive so far by borrowing money from friends around them for a few thousand yen each or by receiving remittances from friends overseas. The livelihood of those who supported them have also been made more difficult due to the pandemic, including reduced work hours and unemployment, while those on provisional release have seen their income completely cut off. We have received some desperate requests: "I have run out of food and have only a little rice," "I haven't eaten anything since yesterday," and "I have lost my job and my home." Unable to return home country for fear of persecution, adult asylum seekers on provisional release who are not registered as residents in Japan are excluded from the government's special fixed-amount benefit payments, further impoverishing them.

　Under these circumstances, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced the acceptance of Ukrainian refugees into Japan following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I believe that it was both swift and unusual for the announcement to be made by the head of government, Prime Minister Kishida. It was necessary to make a strong statement of intent and show solidarity against the act of invading another country by force. The Prime Minister's prompt announcement of acceptance of refugees elicited a positive response from local governments and the private sector, and many parties involved were positive about receiving refugees. As of September 25, 2022, the number of Ukrainian refugees who have fled to Japan has already exceeded 1,900.

　From the standpoint of having provided support for refugees, I believe that refugees need individualized support (casework) that is tailored to their situation, starting immediately after their arrival in Japan. For example, one must understand the premise of the Ukrainian refugees: they did not even imagine that they would flee their country and come to Japan. During their escape, they might have had various harsh experiences, including separation from their families, and when they arrive in Japan, there is no option of immediately returning home. It is important to provide support immediately after they enter the country. Additionally, according to news reports, many people have unique needs, such as those with children and the elderly. Particularly important are the perspectives on how to support them so that they are not isolated, and whether they are able to cope with the mental impact of the situation in their country of origin and their experiences of displacement.

　In addition, in order to start up a life from scratch in a country with a different language and customs, it is essential to address the difficulties in daily life and to support the person in solving problems that are particular to the position he or she is in. Even if the civil war in Ukraine were to end soon, it would take even longer to feel safe enough to return. Therefore, I believe that at the very least, the receiving side needs to prepare for acceptance from a long-term perspective.

　We must also view the growing acceptance of Ukrainian refugees in our society as an opportunity to lay the groundwork for refugee acceptance in Japan, leading to improvements in the asylum determination process and the establishment of a comprehensive support system for all those who seek asylum. We would like to make this an opportunity to consider a comprehensive and fair refugee protection system, rather than dividing people who have been forced to flee their homes based on their country of origin or the situation they are in.