A record 303 asylum-seekers in Japan were granted refugee status in 2023, the Justice Ministry announced Tuesday, although the figure is still considerably lower compared with those of Western countries.
Still, it was a jump from the previous record of 202 people in 2022.
Two other foreign nationals were granted quasi-refugee status — a new category for those fleeing from countries in conflict — while another 1,005 were granted permission to reside in Japan on humanitarian grounds despite not qualifying for refugee status.
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