Twenty Ukrainians arrived in Tokyo on Tuesday along with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi. They flew in a government jet. So far, the country has taken in more than 400 people from Ukraine. As a rule, the state in the Pacific only accommodates a very small number of refugees each year.
“We have been informed that some people wanted to go to Japan, but had difficulty arranging the trip themselves,” government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno said on Tuesday. “For humanitarian reasons, 20 of these people were invited to fly the government jet.”
Plan for Ukrainians
Japan has so far taken in 404 more Ukrainians, Matsuno said after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced a plan to take in war refugees last month. The Japanese foreign minister had traveled to Poland for several days to offer Kiev support against the Russian invasion.
Japan has also joined the West in tough sanctions against Moscow. On Tuesday, the island state announced an additional $100 million in humanitarian aid to Kiev. In March, another $100 million in aid to Ukraine and neighboring countries was announced.
Reluctant to record
Until now, Japan has been hesitant to take in war refugees. Out of thousands of applicants, the Pacific state usually hosts only a few dozen refugees a year. In 2020, out of approximately 4,000 applicants, only 47 refugees and 44 other people were accepted for humanitarian reasons. Human rights groups have long accused the government of doing too little to help people fleeing violent conflict. However, to refugees from Ukraine, the country has now opened its doors, calling them “evacuees”.
Refugee status would entitle them to a minimum stay of five years, which could then be converted to a more permanent one. “Evacués” instead receive a 90-day visa that can be converted to one-year status with a work permit.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
