Nonprofit organizations that support refugees say the number of asylum-seekers coming to Japan this year is likely to reach 1,000 for the third year in a row.

Ever since the government adopted stricter criteria for providing financial support to asylum-seekers awaiting screening last spring, more and more are knocking on the doors of NPOs for help, according to the Japan Association for Refugees in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo.

"Unless the government creates a stronger safety net, the situation is not going to change for refugees here," association spokeswoman Mihoko Kashima said.