For the first time, and becoming the first country in Asia to accept refugees through the United Nations, Japan accepts 30 Burmese refugees.
(Kyodo) _ Japan will accept around 30 refugees from Myanmar who are currently taking shelter in Thailand, in fiscal 2010 that starts April 1 that year, under a recent Cabinet agreement to introduce the so-called third-country refugee resettlement program, government officials said Thursday.
Representatives from justice, foreign affairs and nine other ministries and agencies will hold a meeting Friday at the prime minister’s office to decide on details, such as reception facilities for the Myanmar refugees, the officials said.
The refugee resettlement program calls for third countries to accept refugees who flee their conflict-stricken home countries to nearby states but find it hard to resettle in either of those nations.
Read my previous post on Japan here.