At the end of October, there were more than 2,600 asylum seekers in Japan, a record high, the Japan Association for Refugees said Wednesday.

Their numbers are only likely to increase in the coming months, said JAR Executive Director Hiroaki Ishii, who noted the current figure only reflects the people the association has managed to keep track of itself. Ishii predicts more than 3,000 will seek asylum by the end of year.

When contacted by The Japan Times, the Justice Ministry, which keeps a tally of asylum seekers, declined to confirm JAR's data or divulge their nationalities.