Comment on Establishment of the (tentatively named) "Joint Meeting on Immigration Detention Issues"
September 10, 2010
Japan Federation of Bar Associations
The Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA) and the Immigration Bureau of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) reached an agreement to set up a joint meeting to discuss issues surrounding the detention of foreign nationals for immigration control in order to improve the situation surrounding their detention. The JFBA and MOJ also agreed to promote legal counseling services for detainees in immigration centers.
Recently, problems such as prolonged periods of detention of foreign nationals at immigration centers have been reported which the JFBA and local bar associations are unable to ignore. Therefore, the JFBA, with the cooperation of the Ministry of Justice, have decided to promote legal counseling services for foreign nationals detained in immigration centers in order to enhance the provision of legal support including those involving applications for provisional release status. In addition, the JFBA and the MOJ have agreed to set up a joint meeting to comprehensively discuss relevant issues concerning the immigration detention of foreign nationals.
The JFBA has released opinions regarding the administration of immigration control from a human rights perspective and have been working toward its improvement. This Joint Meeting will be a forum to propose measures to improve the situation surrounding the detention of foreign nationals and to constructively discuss the implementation of such measures. The JFBA will actively be involved in this Joint Meeting.
