A government agency report on the situation surrounding the questionable death of a Sri Lankan detainee shows a poor commitment to basic human rights principles among Japanese immigration control officials.
Wishma Sandamali’s bereaved younger sisters, Wayomi, cernter right, and Poornima, center left, speak to reporters before meeting with Justice Minister Yoko Kamikawa in Tokyo s Kasumigaseki district on May 18. (Yosuke Fukudome)
The government and the ruling coalition have abandoned plans to enact a bill to revise the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law during the current regular Diet session.
Since a Lower House election is set to be held by autumn, the bill is most likely to be scrapped.
As the Cabinet s approval ratings have fallen sharply due mainly to the government’s mishandling of the COVID-19 crisis, the ruling camp has apparently flinched at suffering an additional blow with the public by trying to ram the much-criticized legislation through the Diet.
Funeral service held in Nagoya for Sri Lankan detainee : The Asahi Shimbun asahi.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from asahi.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The meeting room of the Lower House Judicial Affairs Committee remains empty on May 14 after a breakdown in talks meant that no vote would be held on legislation to revise the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law. (Ryo Ikeda)
The government brushed aside opposition calls to release further information on the death of a Sri Lankan woman in an immigration detention facility and forged ahead May 14 with plans to revise the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law without amendments.
The proposed legislation has drawn sharp criticism from groups providing support to refugee applicants as well as legal scholars, who contend it could potentially make things harder for applicants seeking refugee status.