Eight Bangladeshi overstayers who turned themselves in last September to request special permission to remain in Japan were deported Friday, according to sources.
After examining their cases, the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau decided against allowing them to remain in Japan any longer and took them into custody in November, the sources said.
The men had stayed in Japan for as long as 18 years, after entering the country between 1986 and the 1990s, and worked at construction sites, cleaning companies and restaurants, according to the Asian People's Friendship Society, a volunteer group that helps illegal immigrants in Japan.
The men had sought special permission to stay, on grounds that they would face difficulty rebuilding their lives if they were sent back to Bangladesh.
The eight lived in Kanagawa, Chiba, Ibaraki and other prefectures.