Photo/Illutration Leaders of opposition parties submit a proposal to revise the immigration law to the Upper House on May 9. (Koichi Ueda)

A bill to revise the immigration law aimed at improving the procedures to detain and deport foreign nationals overstaying their visa was passed in a Lower House plenary session by majority vote on May 9.

Members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, coalition partner, Komeito, Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party) and the Democratic Party for the People voted for the bill to revise the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law. 

Members of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the Japanese Communist Party and Reiwa Shinsengumi opposed the bill.

The legislation will allow immigration authorities to deport those seeking refugee status after two rejections of their applications.

Currently, deportation orders are suspended if applications for refugee status are pending.

Immigration authorities want to be able to more quickly deport any foreign national deemed to be abusing the refugee application process to prolong their stay in Japan.

As a result, some people spend years in detention for the relatively minor offense of overstaying their visa.

Opposition parties have urged the central government to establish an independent organization to assess refugee status on a neutral and impartial basis, citing that only roughly about 1 percent of all applications for refugee status have been granted in Japan.

But the central government has said Japan has properly conducted the refugee recognition process and such independent organization is not needed.

Opposition parties including the CDP and JCP submitted a lawmaker-initiated legislation proposal to the Upper House the same day, which includes a proposal to establish an independent organization among other items.