The Tokyo Immigration Bureau has rejected requests for parole by nine Afghans who were detained when applying for refugee status earlier this month on suspicion of entering Japan illegally, according to sources close to the case.
The nine requested parole, saying their detention since Oct. 3 while applying for refugee status is unlawful.
The nine belong to ethnic minority groups opposed to Afghanistan's Taliban rulers. They range in age from their teens to their 40s. Last Friday, the group filed a lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court, demanding an end to their detention.
They were detained for allegedly violating the immigration control law after the Justice Ministry and the National Police Agency ordered a tightening of checks on Afghans living in Japan following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.
The members of the group, all males, say they entered Japan between June and August, using false passports or arriving by cargo ship after family members were killed by the Taliban. They had all been working illegally, the bureau said earlier.