Japan's stricter rules in screening refugees. (Getty Express)

Japan Refuses His Refugee Status, An Iraqi Decides to Sue

On Monday (5/20), the Japanese Government was sued through Osaka District Court by an Iraqi man. The man, who refused to be named, demanding a retraction of the rejection to his refugee status application.

The man came to Japan in January 2016 to escape danger in his home country. According to the lawsuit, he claimed that his family was a victim of persecution because of his father membership to the Baath Party that used to be led by President Saddam Hussein who was overthrown back in 2003. While the man’s uncle was killed on the street. In his complaint, he also stated that he was kidnapped and tortured badly for half a year by an armed group in 2012.

After only three months in Japan, the man had to come back to Iraq because of his expired visa. In 2017, he then returned to Japan and applied for refugee status as the persecution he was facing continued.

Yet under the new rules, Japan tightens the screening system in granting refugee status. As reported by The Mainichi, the Immigration Bureau of Japan declined the man’s application due to the absence of persecution threat evidence toward him.

When interviewed at a conference held in Osaka, the man said that it is unjust to not grant him the refugee status as he cannot return to Iraq and wants to seek safety in Japan.