Japan eyes 'quasi-refugee' status for people fleeing conflicts

PM Kishida says envisioned system would not discriminate against certain countries

20220416 Tokyo Ukraine refugee

Ukrainian refugees who are brought by Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi who visited Poland, arrive at Haneda airport, in Tokyo on April 5.  © Reuters

NIIGATA, Japan (Kyodo) -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Saturday the government is considering creating a more loosely defined refugee category to accept people fleeing conflicts in light of the humanitarian crisis stemming from Russia's war in Ukraine.

"The Justice Ministry is considering a system for accepting people as refugee equivalents from a humanitarian standpoint even if they do not fall under" the 1951 refugee convention, Kishida said at a meeting in Niigata.

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