The Diet started deliberations Friday on a bill to resolve the long-term detention of foreign nationals facing deportation orders that would allow asylum seekers to be released and protect those who do not qualify for refugee status under the country's strict standards.
The proposed amendment comes amid growing criticism that indefinite detention is a human rights violation. Human rights groups, however, maintain the bill still does not do enough to protect refugees in a country that accepts only about 1% of applications.
Supporters of refugees have aired concerns because the bill limits the number of times the deportation procedure can be halted while applying for refugee status to two.