Countries
1: Africa.
2: Americas.
3: Asia-Pacific.
- 3.1: Australia.
- 3.2: Hong Kong .
- 3.3: Japan.
  - 3.3.1: Introduction.
  - 3.3.2: List of Detention Sites.
  - 3.3.3: Map of Detention Sites.
  - 3.3.4: Detention History and Politics.
  - 3.3.5: Detention Infrastructure and Practices.
  - 3.3.6: Detention Conditions.
  - 3.3.7: Migration Phenomenon.
  - 3.3.8: Country Links.
  - 3.3.9: Discussion of Sources.
  - 3.3.10: Reference List.
- 3.4: Malaysia.
- 3.5: Maldives.
- 3.6: New Zealand.
- 3.7: South Korea.
4: Europe.
5: Middle East .

Japan Profile

Quick Facts

Number of Immigration Detention Sites: 19

Detention Capacity: 3,410 (2005)

Annual Number of Deportations:
33,192 (2005)

Undocumented Population:
193,745 (2006)

Number of asylum seekers:
1,515 (end of 2007)

Disclaimer

Last updated: December 2007

Japan Detention Profile

Discussion of Sources

Information in this profile is gathered from various sources, including official government documents and statistics, academic studies, human rights organizations, and media reports, and legal documents. Information on detention facilities is mainly derived from the Japanese Immigration Bureau website or reports. With regards to immigration detention facilities, the Japanese Immigration Bureau listed only three Immigration Detention Centers, although the Immigration Control Report 2006 stated that there were 16 detention houses at the regional immigration bureaus throughout Japan. We cannot be sure that the list of detention centers and detention houses provided by the Immigration Bureau is exhaustive. However, no report from other sources consulted reveals the presence of detention facilities other than the ones listed by the Immigration Bureau.

Official statistics estimating the number of irregular migrants, deportees, and asylum applicants and admissions are very useful for understanding Japan’s migration phenomena and immigration policies. Unfortunately, no official statistics are available for the total number of detainees in immigration detention facilities. Thus, we cannot provide any national pattern regarding immigration detention practices in the country.

Much information on detainees is derived from reports produced by international or national NGOs and academic researchers. While information from reputable NGOs such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch is reliable, these NGOs’ reports usually provide information on individual cases. Thus, data on detainees do not reflect a nationwide reality. Some academic studies provide insights on detainees’ situations, but their information is usually based on facts gathered by the aforementioned NGOs. Academic studies, and to a certain extent media reports, are particularly useful for understanding the historical, social, economic, and political contexts of immigration issues in Japan and how this contextual specificity influences immigration policy in general and immigration detention in particular.