■　共同書簡原文（国連人権高等弁務官事務所（OHCHR）ウェブサイト）

■　共同書簡日本語版（仮訳）

UN Experts Sent A Letter To The Government of Japan About The Proposed Amendment Bill To The Immigration And Refugee Recognition Act Of 2023

On 18 April 2023, UN Special Rapporteurs and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued a joint letter to the government of Japan under the mandates provided by the Human Rights Council. They expressed concerns about a bill to amend the Immigration and Refugee Recognition Act in terms of international human rights standards. The bill was re-proposed in 2023 after the government’s withdrawal of the bill of 2021 and is under discussion in the Diet as of 21 April 2023.

The experts raised concerns regarding a remaining presumption of detention, lack of judicial review, indefinite detention, the principle of non-refoulement, treatment of persons subject to “monitoring measures”, and consideration for the rights of the child, calling for a dialogue on the concerns raised in the letter. This is the second time for Japan to receive a letter regarding the amendment bill to the ICRRA through the special procedures since 2021.

Related links

Letter of 2021 (issued on 31 March 2021):Original (OHCHR Website) / Tentative Translation (Website of Japan Lawyers Network for Refugees)

Japanese government’s response to the letter of 2021 (issued on 17 June 2021): Original (OHCHR Web site) / Partial Translation (Web site of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan)

ISA’s Announcement to the Letter of 2021 (issued before 17 June 2021) “Response of the Government of Japan to the Open Letter by the Special Rapporteurs and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the UN Human Rights Council” (automatic English translation available)