City Research Online

Abstract

In an ideal world, resettlement initiatives would be publicly debated, officially announced, and supported by a clear regulatory framework. This is not always the case in practice. This paper examines one resettlement initiative that has – intentionally – passed almost entirely under the radar: the Japanese resettlement of North Korean escapees. This initiative has focused on resettling North Korean escapees who either were previously resident in Japan, or are related to somebody who was. Despite its significance to understanding refugee flows in the region, it has attracted hardly any English-language scholarship. This paper aims to fill the gap. First, I provide a comprehensive examination of the law and policy of Japan's resettlement programme. Second, I interrogate the lack of transparency that characterises it, in particular examining Japan's motivations for keeping its resettlement programme under the radar, and the implications of doing so.

Publication Type:	Article
Publisher Keywords:	Resettlement, North Korean Escapees, Repatriation, Refugees, Transparency
Subjects:	D History General and Old World > DS Asia J Political Science > JQ Political institutions Asia J Political Science > JV Colonies and colonization. Emigration and immigration. International migration J Political Science > JZ International relations
Departments:	The City Law School The City Law School > Academic Programmes
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

Export

Downloads