Trafficking bill poses risks for refugees

An interesting article in Asahi.com: it says about the bill which is to be debated in the Lower House judicial comittee in order to revise the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law.

The bill includes a clause which allows the government to share information on individuals with foreign immigration authorities. The lawyers fear that it can have a drastic impact on refugee applications because it could be used to justify improper investigations of asylum seekers.
"If the bill is passed as it is, there is a possibility that it could be used against refugee applicants to justify the disclosure of information to the countries that they fled," said Shogo Watanabe a lawyer who specializes in refugee issues. "One cannot help but think the government is trying to discreetly sneak this problematic clause in to a bill that most people would agree is a good move to help trafficking victims."