Japan denies asylum charges

Immigration officials yesterday denied charges by the human rights group Amnesty International that Japan fails to protect asylum-seekers and often threatens them with deportation, Reuter reports from Tokyo. 'We in no way give consideration to diplomacy or immigration control matters when deciding refugee status,' Kyoji Kojima, head of the Justice Ministry's Refugee Determination Section, said, referring to a report that said Japan needed to reform its asylum policy to meet its obligations under international agreements.