A Sri Lankan man who has already been granted refugee status by a Japanese court has not been recognized as a refugee by the Justice Ministry. He has decided to file another lawsuit against the ministry to have his status recognized.

 

The man is an ethnic minority Tamil who came to Japan 9 years ago after leaving Sri Lanka during its civil war. Now in his 50s, he is living in the Kanto region.

 

After his application for refugee status was rejected by the Justice Ministry he filed suit demanding the ministry retract its decision.

 

He won that suit 4 years ago and the ministry did not appeal.

 

Ministry officials later re-examined his status, but 8 months later they again declined its approval saying the Sri Lankan civil war had ended and the situation in the country was improving.

 

However, the ministry granted him the right to remain in Japan on humanitarian grounds, but without refugee status. That means he is not eligible for various kinds of support, such as assistance with job placement or learning the Japanese language.

 

The plaintiff says the court, taking the end of the civil war fully into consideration, ruled that he had met the criteria for the status. He said the ministry's rejection is unfair. He plans to file a lawsuit at the Tokyo District Court in the near future.

 

His lawyers say this will be the first trial at which a foreigner once recognized as a refugee by a Japanese court will seek the same status for a second time.

 

Justice Ministry officials say they will handle the case accordingly once they have received the petition.

 

The number of people seeking refugee status in Japan is increasing. The ministry says in 2014 the number reached a record high of 5,000.

 

However, only 11 people, a mere 0.2 percent of all applicants, were granted the status.

 

Supporters of such refugees say the Japanese criterion is much stricter than other developed nations. They say there are people who should be granted the status to be given proper protection.

(NHK)