Abstract
This chapter focuses on how the reception by States of displaced Ukrainians has impacted the law in Japan, European Union and international human rights law. The Japanese Government’s support for Ukrainian ‘displaced persons’ began on 28th February 2022 with a statement by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. This initiative has been led by the Immigration Service Agency of the Minister of Justice, other Ministries and agencies, national and local authorities and private companies. The legal status of Ukrainian ‘displaced persons’ is ‘designated activities’. It is not a stable status and there are concerns that assistance might end at any time. However, there has never before been an example of Japan receiving such a large number of people in urgent circumstances. The acceptance by Japan of Ukrainians is a paradigm shift, as Japan is now engaging in international cooperation within its territory as opposed to abroad/externally in other countries as it has traditionally/historically done. It is noteworthy to accumulate good practices by public institutions (government and universities) and to relate them to the broader issue of foreigners in the future, as a ‘cornerstone on the backbone’ to protect foreigners in Japan, which has been extremely reluctant accepting refugees and displaced persons in the past.
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Notes
- 1.
https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine last visited on 25th May 2023.
- 2.
https://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/101_kishida/statement/2022/0228kaiken.html last visited on 25th May 2023.
- 3.
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/support/fresc/12_00031.html last visited on 25th May 2023.
- 4.
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https://www.nippon-foundation.or.jp/en last visited on 25th May 2023.
- 8.
https://www.rstp.ca/en/refugee-sponsorship/the-private-sponsorship-of-refugees-program/ last visited on 25th May 2023.
Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative Partners https://refugeesponsorship.org/ last visited on 25th May 2023.
Jennier Hyndman, William Payne, Shauna Jimenez “The State of Private Refugee Sponsorship in Canada: Trends, Issues, and Impacts” Centre for Refugee Studies, York University, December 2, 2016.
- 9.
Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382 of 4 March 2022 establishing the existence of a mass influx of displaced persons from Ukraine within the meaning of Article 5 of Directive 2001/55/EC, and having the effect of introducing temporary protection.
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2022/382/oj last visited on 25th May 2023.
- 10.
https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/ja/planning/search-school/daigakukensaku/ukraine-u/post-1.html last visited on 25th May 2023.
- 11.
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/support/fresc/12_00030.html last visited on 25th May 2023.
- 12.
https://www.cao.go.jp/pko/pko_e/operations/relief.html last visited on 25th May 2023.
- 13.
Article 3(3) Act on Cooperation with United Nations peacekeeping operations and Other Operations (Act No. 79 of June 19, 1992) “Humanitarian international relief operations In accordance with resolutions adopted by the General Assembly, the Security Council or the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations or requests made by the international organisations listed in Annex II, conflicts that may endanger the maintenance of international peace and security (hereinafter referred to as ‘conflicts’). Residents and other persons (hereinafter referred to as ‘affected peoples’) who have suffered or are likely to suffer damage as a result of the conflict”.
- 14.
https://www.cao.go.jp/pko/pko_e/data/law/pdf/law_01.pdf last visited on 25th May 2023.
- 15.
https://www.cao.go.jp/pko/pko_j/operations/relief.html last visited on 25th May 2023.
- 16.
ibid.
- 17.
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- 18.
- 19.
Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention Opinions adopted by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention at its eighty-eighth session, 24–28 August 2020 Opinion No. 58/2020 concerning Deniz Yengin and Heydar Safari Diman (Japan) A/HRC/WGAD/2020/58, 25 September 2020.
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https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=26325&fbclid=IwAR2TnEqjZnr0vYRU39NG3LmsxgHDvTrViX8BH38QS27xtS_nWF4d2AB5nGQ last visited 25th May 2023.
UNHCR Comments on amendments to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (ICRRA) submitted to the 204th Diet session (9 April 2021) https://www.unhcr.org/jp/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2021/04/20210409-UNHCR-Full-Comments-on-ICRRA-Bill-English.pdf last visited 25th May 2023.
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Mandates of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants; the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief Ref.: OL JPN 1/2023, 18 April 2023.
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- 20.
Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382 of 4 March 2022 establishing the existence of a mass influx of displaced persons from Ukraine within the meaning of Article 5 of Directive 2001/55/EC, and having the effect of introducing temporary protection https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2022/382/oj last visited 25th May 2023.
- 21.
Proposal for a COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING DECISION establishing the existence of a mass influx of displaced persons from Ukraine within the meaning of Article 5 of Council Directive 2001/55/EC of 20 July 2001, and having the effect of introducing temporary protection COM/2022/91 final, 27 February 2022.
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UNHCR “Refugee Status Determination: Identifying who is a refugee, Self-study module 2” 2005, p. 4. https://www.unhcr.org/media/self-study-module-2-refugee-status-determination-identifying-who-refugee last visited 25th May 2023.
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Case of Pacheco Tineo v Bolivia, Inter-American Court of Human Rights, 25 November 2013.
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Yukari Ando・Judith Gleeson・Martin Treadwell・Linda Kirk “Genjitsu tekina Osore Eikoku, NZ, Australia ni okeru Risho Kijun no Hatten Keii (Development of Real Risk in the UK, New Zealand and Australia)” Refugee Studies Journal No. 7, 2017, pp. 80–98.
- 28.
Ibid.
- 29.
Ibid.
- 30.
UN Doc. No. 12A (A/32/12/Add.1).
- 31.
Masanao Murakami “Jinshu Sabetsu Teppai Joyaku to Nihon (CERD and Japan)” Nihon Hyoron Publishing, 2005, p. 8.
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Ibid, p.10.
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Yuji Iwasawa “Jiyuken Kiyaku Iinkai no Kiyaku Kaishaku no Hou teki Igi (Legal significance of the Human Rights Committee on the interpretation of the ICCPR)” Sekai Hou Nenpou, No. 29, 2010, p. 71.
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Kohki Abe “Nanmin Joyaku to 60 Nichi Rule・Saikou (Refugee Convention and the 60-day rule, revisited)” Kokusai Jinken no Chihei, Gendai Jinbun Publshing, 2003, p. 173.
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Hanrei Jihou No. 1513, p. 86.
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ibid, p. 174.
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Hinako Takata, Shotaro Hamamoto ‘Human Rights, Treaty Bodies, General Comments/Recommendations’ in “Max Planck Encyclopedia of International Law”, 2023, para 59.
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Machiko Kanetake, ‘Giving Due Consideration: A Normative Pathway between UN Human Rights Treaty-Monitoring Bodies and Domestic Courts’ in Niko Krisch ed. “Entangled Legalities Beyond the State”, Cambridge University Press, 2021, p. 151.
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Shotaro Hamamoto “Saibankan wa Dare ni Kataru no ka-Nihon no Saibancho ni okeru Kokusaihou・Gaikokuhou no fu sansho (To whom the courts speak—(non) references to international law and foreign law in Japanese courts)” Yoichi Ito (eds) Saibankan Taiwa, Nihon Hyoron Publishing, 2023, p. 294.
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Masaaki Saito “Tasouteki Rikken Shugi to Nihon Koku Kenpou (Multi-layered constitutionalism and the Constitution of Japan)” Shinzansha Publishing, 2022, p. 216.
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Dai Tamada “Genocide Jouyaku Tekiyou Jiken Gambia tai Myanmar Senketsu Teki Koben ([Case Study] Gambia v Myanmar, Application of the Genocide Convention, Gambia v Myanmar, Preliminary Defence (International Court of Justice, 22 July 2022)” Kokusai Hou Kenkyu, No. 12, 2023, pp. 211–212.
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Mari Takeuchi “Nanmin Joyaku Kokunai Saibansho ni yoru Kokusai Joyaku no Kaishaku (Refugee Convention—Interpretation of international conventions by national courts)” Tadashi Mori (eds) Bunya Betsu Kokuasi Joyaku Handbook, Yuhikaku, 2020, p. 99.
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Yukio Okitsu “Global Gyosei Koui? Nanmin Nintei o Meguru Kokka to UNHCR no Kengen no Soukoku (A global administrative act?—Conflicts between state and UNHCR authority over refugee status)” Yokohama Hougaku, 27(3), 2019, p. 302.
- 45.
John Vrachnas, Mirko Bagaric, Penny Dimopoulos, Athula Pathinayake, Migration and Refugee Law: Principles and Practice in Australia, Third Edition, Cambridge University Press, 2012, footnote 12, p. 193.
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High Court of Australia, Chan v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs [1989] HCA 62; (1989) 169 CLR 379 (9 December 1989).
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ibid, Justice Mason C.J., para 20.
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Mirko Bagaaric, Kim Boyd, Penny Dimopoulos, Sue Tongue, John Vrachnas, “Migration and Refugee Law in Australia: Cases and Commentary”, Cambridge University Press, 2007, p. 236.
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Supra n.23.
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Ibid.
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International Association of Refugee and Migration Judges (IARMJ) and European Asylum Support Office (EASO) “Article 15(c) Qualification Directive (2011/95/EU) A Judicial Analysis” 2014. https://www.easo.europa.eu/country-guidance-nigeria/334-indiscriminate-violence last visited 25th May 2023.
- 52.
Cornelis (Kees) Wouters ‘Chapter 45 Conflict Refugees’ “Oxford Handbook of International Refugee Law” Oxford University Press, 2021, p. 820.
- 53.
Ibid., p. 821.
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https://www.refworld.org/docid/3b20a3914.html last visited on 25th May 2023.
- 55.
https://www.unhcr.org/excom/standcom/3ae68d140/complementary-forms-protection-nature-relationship-international-refugee.html last visited on 25th May 2023. https://www.unhcr.org/435df0aa2.pdf last visited on 25th May 2023.
- 56.
Supra n.30, p. 821.
- 57.
- 58.
Article 2 (3–2) “A person, other than a refugee, who meets the requirements of a refugee to whom the Refugee Convention applies, other than that the reason for being at risk of persecution is a reason as specified in Article 1A of the Refugee Convention”.
- 59.
Tokyo Bar Association on 18th January 2023; Kanbenren on 20th January 2023; Osaka Bar Association on 1st February 2023; Kanagawa Bar Association on 2nd February 2023; Ibaraki Bar Association on 3rd February 2023; Aichi Bar Association on 8th February 2023; Sendai Bar Association on 9th February 2023; Liberty Bar Association on 16th February 2023; Gunma Bar Association on 20th February 2023; Chiba Bar Association on 21st February 2023; Hiroshima Bar Association on 22nd February 2023; Hyogo Bar Association on 27th February 2023; Daini Tokyo Bar Association on 1st March 2023; Fukuoka Bar Association on 3rd March 2023. http://www.jlnr.jp/statements/#B last visited on 25th May 2023.
- 60.
UNHCR Comments on amendments to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (ICRRA) submitted to the 204th Diet session (9th April 2021) https://www.unhcr.org/jp/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2021/04/20210409-UNHCR-Full-Comments-on-ICRRA-Bill-English.pdf last visited on 25th May 2023.
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Ando, Y. (2023). Impacts on Refugee Law: Implications for Japanese Law, European Union Law and International Human Rights Law. In: Furuya, S., Takemura, H., Ozaki, K. (eds) Global Impact of the Ukraine Conflict. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-4374-6_7
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