Immigration Bureau's border control operations against refugee applicants

　　On December 11th 2024, two Africans arrived at Narita Airport with the intention of applying for refugee status, but were refused landing and were about to be sent home on an 8pm flight. I managed to save them at the last minute by rushing to the Immigration Bureau at Narita Airport.

　　They had also landed with a temporary visitor visa, but were refused landing because they had not clearly proven the purpose of their visit to Japan, and were subsequently ordered to leave the country and were scheduled to be repatriated on an 8pm Ethiopian Airlines flight.

　　The Immigration Bureau said that the two men could have appealed against the departure order, but that they had signed a document waiving their right to do so. At the oral hearing for the refusal of landing, they said that they had not applied for refugee status or temporary asylum, so the immigration had not taken this into consideration.

　　When I asked them if they had been informed about the application for asylum, they said that they should have understood from the posters, so they didn't explain anything.

　　After that, I was able to meet with the two people, and with the help of a French interpreter, I had them fill out and submit an application for refugee status in a big hurry so that it would be ready in time for their flight that night. The application was accepted on the spot, and they managed to avoid being deported.

　　When I asked them why they had given up on appealing against the landing refusal, they said they had just been told to sign. The Immigration Bureau says they explained the appeal, but the people themselves didn't understand what it meant. It's no use if they don't understand, and it's not as simple as just telling them.

　　When a landing refusal is made in this way, many foreigners who have come to Japan for the purpose of seeking refugee status are refused landing and sent back home. It seems that there are many similar cases. This is a pre-modern strategy to stop refugees at the border.