Since that time the number of persons recognized as refugees in Japan amounts to no more than 598; 307 of these originate from Myanmar. In 2011 the Japanese Ministry of Justice dealt with over 2,999 applications (2,119 first applications and 880 appeals). Of these, 21 were recognized: in 248 further cases a residence permit was issued on humanitarian grounds. Thus in 2011 only 0.7% of applications for refugee status were granted. The year 2011 therefore represents a steady continuation of the preceding cautious trend in Japanese refugee policy. Zur Auflösung der Fußnote[1]
As in the field of integration, in that of refuge and asylum too Japan is a "belated nation". Japan did not ratify the UN Convention on Human Rights until 1981 – thirty years after it had come into force.