Photo/Illutration People who were working at the Japanese Embassy in Kabul and their family members arrive in Japan at Narita Airport on Oct. 19, 2021. (Takayuki Kakuno)

Japan has granted refugee status to nearly 100 people who fled Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power last August, the highest annual number of foreigners it has recognized as refugees.

“We welcome this move,” said Mitsuru Namba, a lawyer with the Japan Lawyer Network for Refugees.

There were 98 people from 18 households, including staff who were working at the Japanese Embassy in Kabul and their family members. The Immigration Services Agency of Japan gave them the status as of Aug. 19, according to sources.

This is a rare move in Japan where the 1951 Refugee Convention, which defines a refugee, is strictly interpreted compared to Western countries, making it known for accepting few asylum seekers.

Last year, 74 foreigners were recognized as refugees in the country, which was the previous record high.

Last August, the former Afghanistan government--supported by the United States and its partners--collapsed following the withdrawal of U.S. troops. The Taliban then seized full power.

There were growing fears that people who had ties with other countries could be at risk of persecution, leading many of them to flee Afghanistan.

The Foreign Ministry said around 800 people have evacuated to Japan.

Of these, about 200 embassy staff and their families received assistance with their daily lives and housing from the Japanese government after they arrived.

Some applied for refugee status around Aug. 1, according to sources.

They said the Japanese government approached them to apply for the status, which was granted on the grounds they could be persecuted if they returned to their home country, sources said.

Once recognized as refugees, they are given resident status for five years, with requirements to reside in Japan permanently eased.

They are also eligible to receive settlement support, such as Japanese language classes.

It usually takes a year or more to process a refugee status to allow time to screen the application, for example.

This time, however, the 98 applicants were granted the status in less than three weeks. Since applicants were embassy staff, it didn’t take long to verify the circumstances and their identities.

However, “more evacuees could have been granted asylum by having them apply earlier,” Namba said. 

Some embassy staff already returned to their home country, he added.

(This article was written by Sotaro Hata and Kosuke Tauchi.)

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