The number of people seeking asylum in Japan reached some 2,600 at the end of October, adding to the soaring rate of those with no residency rights or financial assistance.
Although asylum applicants have surged sharply, especially in the last three years, the refugee-recognition rate is sliding. In 2012, Japan granted asylum to only 18 people — the fewest on record — out of 2,545 applicants.
"The living conditions of asylum seekers are one of our biggest concerns," said Mika Sakurai, senior social assistance officer at the Tokyo-based Japan Association for Refugees (JAR), a regular recipient of the Japan Times Readers' Fund. The group has been providing asylum seekers and other apparent refugees with a wide range of legal and social assistance since 1999.