Population figures
Total country population
122,631,432
Forcibly displaced population
Refugees (under UNHCR's mandate):
22,335
Asylum-seekers:
23,916
IDPs (of concern to UNHCR):
0
Other people in need of international protection:
0
Other
Statelessness persons
486
Host community
0
Others of concern to UNHCR
0
Country context
Japan is an island country in East Asia, situated in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asian mainland, bordered by the Sea of Japan to the west and the East China Sea to the south, and comprising four principal islands—Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu—along with thousands of smaller islets. Japan currently hosts refugees, asylum seekers, and stateless persons from countries such as Afghanistan, Myanmar, Sudan, Syria, and Ukraine.
While Japan is a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, the domestic legal framework for refugees and asylum seekers is anchored in the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act of 1951, which consolidates procedures for status determination and grants long-term resident visas upon recognition. Asylum procedures are managed by the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) under the Ministry of Justice.
...While Japan is not a party to the two international Conventions dedicated to address statelessness i.e. the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, Japan is currently following up on the recommendations made by UN Human Rights mechanisms to consider its accession to the both Conventions.
Japan’s refugee population has grown steadily, particularly in 2023, due to an increase in asylum applications, primarily from Ukraine and other regions affected by conflict. A new complementary protection system, introduced in 2023, offers additional avenues for protection. While refugee recognition rates remain low, particularly for asylum seekers from countries like Myanmar and Afghanistan, protection mechanisms for these individuals are slowly expanding. While refugees and stateless persons are able to access some public services, the lack of a structured social safety net for asylum seekers means that many remain vulnerable, with limited employment opportunities, especially for non-Syrian refugees who are not eligible for work permits. The amended Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (ICRRA) introduces new provisions related to asylum processing and deportation, raising concerns about the potential for increased detention and refoulement risks.
Despite these challenges, Japan has made notable strides in integrating refugees through its resettlement and complementary pathways programs, with the country being a pioneer in the Asia-Pacific region for both resettlement and education pathways for refugees.
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