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Landing permission for temporary refuge

JapanHumanitarian protection

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

Official link

What exactly is this: asylum, temporary protection, humanitarian admission, resettlement or another protection mechanism?

This is a special landing permission (one of 7 types): landing permission for temporary refuge, an emergency measure of territorial asylum granted by an immigration inspector to a foreign national aboard a vessel or aircraft who may be a refugee or a person eligible for complementary protection.

See recorded sources
  • https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/refugee/procedures/higo_00001.html
    特例上陸許可(7種類)の一つとして規定されているのが「一時庇護のための上陸の許可(法第18条の2)」です。
  • https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001443352.pdf
    Landing permission for temporary refuge will be granted by an immigration inspector if a foreign national aboard a vessel or aircraft is likely to be recognized as a refugee for reasons prescribed in the Refugee Convention or other reasons equivalent thereto or as a person under complementary protection, and it is deemed appropriate for permission for temporary landing to be granted to such foreign national. This is an emergency measure taken to provide emergency state protection (territorial asylum).

Which population, circumstances or geographic group does the mechanism cover?

It covers foreign nationals aboard a vessel or aircraft who may be refugees for reasons in the Refugee Convention or equivalent reasons, or who may be persons eligible for complementary protection, where temporary landing is considered appropriate.

See recorded sources
  • https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/refugee/procedures/higo_00001.html
    この許可は、船舶等に乗っている外国人が難民条約に規定する理由その他これに準ずる理由により、難民に該当する可能性がある場合、又は船舶等に乗っている外国人が補完的保護対象者に該当する可能性がある場合であって、その外国人を一時的に上陸させることが相当であると思料するときに、入国審査官が許可するもので、これは、「国が取り急ぎ保護する(領土的庇護)」ための緊急措置として与えられるものです。
  • https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001443352.pdf
    (1) Eligibility 船舶又は航空機に乗っている外国人 A foreign national aboard a vessel or aircraft

Where can protection be requested, and is this a direct application, border/in-country request, referral or other process?

A request on arrival: the foreign national applies personally at the Regional Immigration Services Bureau office at the airport or seaport of arrival (unlike other special landings, which the captain or carrier applies for). If under 16 or unable because of illness, an accompanying parent, spouse, child or relative may apply. Documents: disembarkation (ED) card, declaration form, 2 photos (if carried), written evidence of reasons for seeking protection (if carried), and a passport/travel document and identification (if carried).

See recorded sources
  • https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001443352.pdf
    Applicants need to apply by themselves to the Regional Immigration Services Bureaus located in their airports or ports of arrival. If they cannot apply for the permission by themselves for reasons such as being under the age of 16 or illness, however, their parents, spouses, children, or relatives accompanying them may submit applications for them.
  • https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/refugee/procedures/higo_00001.html
    なお、他の特例上陸許可申請については、その外国人が乗っている船舶の船長や飛行機の機長又はその船舶等を運航する運送業者が行うのに対し、一時庇護のための上陸の許可申請については、許可を希望する当該外国人本人が行うこととされています。
  • https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001443352.pdf
    Disembarkation card (ED card, which is provided at airline counters and immigration booths at airports and may be distributed on flights) イ 1 document 申告書(身分事項や申請の理由等を記載するもので、空海港に所在する出入国在留管理官 1通 署で配布しています。 ) Declaration form (for entering identification information, reasons for application, etc., provided at immigration control and residency management offices found in airports and ports) ウ 2葉 写真(所持している場合) Photos (if carried) エ 1 document 2 photos 庇護を求める理由があることを証明する資料(所持している場合) Written evidence of the reasons for seeking protection (if carried) 1通 1 document (2) 提示書類 (2) Documents to present ア 旅券等の渡航文書(所持している場合) Passport or other travel document (if carried) イ 身分を証明する文書(所持している場合) Identification document (if carried)

What happens after the request: registration, family handling, major support and rights where officially stated?

If permission is granted after examination, a certificate of permission for temporary refuge is issued, stating the conditions for landing such as the landing period and restrictions on domicile and scope of activity. The official source does not state support, rights or family handling after landing.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Support, rights and family handling after landing are not stated in the sources read.
  • https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001443352.pdf
    If landing permission for temporary refuge is granted as the result of examination, a certificate of permission for temporary refuge will be issued. Conditions for landing, such as the period of landing and restrictions on the domicile and scope of activity, will be stated on the certificate.

Which competent authority, UN body or official assistance channel should the person use?

The competent authority is the Immigration Services Agency: the application is made at the immigration office located at the airport/seaport of arrival, and the ISA's Guide to Refugee Recognition Procedures sets out the procedure.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • No UN body, assistance channel or fraud warning is stated in the sources read.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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