Around 40% of the 169 people who fled to Japan from Afghanistan following the Taliban's return to power in August last year have left their new home due to what they say was pressure and a lack of support from Japan's Foreign Ministry.
Although Japan has granted refugee status to 98 people, 58 others returned to Afghanistan despite the risk of persecution by the Taliban, while seven left for the United States and the U.K., according to the evacuees. Six have remained in Japan but have not applied for refugee status.
The 98 were newly recognized as refugees in August by the Japanese government, in a rare move for a country known for its strict refugee screening policy and poor record of accepting asylum-seekers.