Japan's House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a controversial bill that would amend an immigration law to enable authorities to deport individuals who repeatedly apply for refugee status. By amending the immigration law, the government led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida aims to end the extended detention in immigration facilities of foreign nationals who do not comply with deportation orders issued for overstaying and other reasons. As part of efforts to prevent long-term detention, the government would allow individuals applying for refugee status to live outside immigration facilities under the supervision of their supporters. In 2021, the government shelved an amendment bill for the immigration law amid a growing backlash after a 33-year-old Sri Lankan woman died while being held at an immigration facility in Nagoya, central Japan, that year. In 2022, Japan gave refugee status to 202 people, a record high since it began granting it in 1982.
