A Muslim woman from a West Asian country who had applied for refugee status in Japan was deported via Narita airport last week, despite the fact that preparations for legal action on her behalf were under way, it was learned Monday.
The 32-year-old woman's deportation came on the same day that her objection to the refusal of her refugee status application was rejected by the Immigration Bureau.
The deportation procedure was called into question by lawyer Satoko Kitamura, who was preparing to file a lawsuit against the government, seeking a reversal of its decision to deny the woman refugee status.