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:	Monograph (Working Paper)
Additional Information:	Copyright, 2024, the authors.
Publisher Keywords:	Resettlement; North Korean Escapees; Repatriation; Refugees; Transparency.
Subjects:	J Political Science > JV Colonies and colonization. Emigration and immigration. International migration K Law > K Law (General)
Departments:	The City Law School The City Law School > Academic Programmes The City Law School > CLS Working Paper Series The City Law School > International Law and Affairs Group
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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