Last year, Japan granted refugee status to just 20 out of a record-high 19,629 applicants. After the figure was released in February, global and domestic coverage was noticeably polarized.
Some slammed Â鶹´«Ã½ strict asylum policy, saying that the world¡¯s third-largest economy has failed to meet its responsibilities as a signatory of the United Nations 1951 Refugee Convention. Others, however, maintained that the majority of the applicants are ¡°fake refugees,¡± or migrant workers who just tried to abuse an apparent loophole in the refugee application system to get a special work permit in Japan.
Which is true? Experts say there may be some truth to both, given the complex reality surrounding the refugee status applicants in Japan. Here¡¯s a closer look at the controversial refugee screening system and recent spike in asylum applications.
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