The following is a summary of the article (The Guardian, June 12, 2025) that read: Home Office backs down on asylum refusal for female Afghan activist:

An Afghan woman known as Mina, who risked her life promoting women’s rights in Afghanistan, has been granted asylum in the UK after the Home Office reversed an earlier rejection of her claim. Despite her prominent work with Western-backed initiatives, her asylum was initially denied on the grounds that she was not at risk from the Taliban.

Before her appeal was heard, the Home Office changed its decision, recognizing her fear of persecution as valid. Mina expressed joy, calling it a long-awaited freedom.

Her lawyer, Jamie Bell, criticized the original rejection and urged the Home Office to grant asylum to all Afghan women due to the severe repression under Taliban rule. Asylum grant rates for Afghans have fallen sharply from 98.5% in late 2023 to 36% in late 2024, with a dramatic rise in court appeals.

Bell noted that despite the drop in approvals, deportations are unlikely since the UK does not recognize the Taliban or have a repatriation agreement, leaving many Afghans in legal limbo.

In a separate case, another Afghan woman who campaigned against gender-based violence was also granted a UK visa after years of hiding from the Taliban.

In today’s international context, certain nationalities tend to be more readily recognized as refugees. Refugee status is determined based on the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, which provide protection to individuals facing persecution. The likelihood of being granted asylum in a host country depends greatly on the political, religious, ethnic, or conflict-related conditions in the applicant’s country of origin. This essay will explore countries whose nationals are more likely to be recognized as refugees internationally and conclude with an overview of the situation in Japan.

Countries Whose Nationals Are Often Recognized as Refugees

1. Afghanistan

Afghanistan has long been one of the world’s leading sources of refugees. Since the Soviet invasion in 1979, followed by civil wars, the rise of the Taliban, and the 2021 withdrawal of U.S. forces leading to the Taliban’s return to power, the country has been in continuous turmoil. Women, journalists, human rights activists, and individuals associated with the former government are particularly vulnerable to persecution. As a result, Afghan asylum seekers are often granted refugee status in countries such as the U.S., Canada, and many European nations.

2. Syria

Since the outbreak of civil war in 2011 following the Arab Spring, Syria has produced a massive number of refugees. The conflict among the Assad regime, opposition forces, and extremist groups like ISIS has led to severe human rights abuses, including bombings, torture, and the use of chemical weapons. Many European countries, particularly Germany and Sweden, responded by granting asylum to Syrians at high recognition rates—often over 90% during the peak of the 2015 refugee crisis.

3. Ukraine

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 forced millions of Ukrainians to flee. While many were accepted under temporary protection schemes rather than formal refugee status, applications for asylum have also increased. The European Union enacted unprecedented mechanisms to allow for rapid entry and protection, with many countries providing support and shelter to Ukrainian nationals fleeing the war.

4. Eritrea

Eritrea is known for its authoritarian regime and indefinite conscription policies, which have prompted large numbers of young men and women to flee the country. Military draft evasion and desertion are often punished harshly. International organizations such as the UN have condemned widespread human rights violations, and European countries tend to grant asylum to Eritrean nationals at relatively high rates.

5. Iran

Iran has seen increasing numbers of asylum seekers, particularly after the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, which sparked nationwide protests and government crackdowns. Political dissidents, ethnic minorities (such as Kurds), religious minorities (like Baháʼís), and women’s rights activists face significant risks of persecution. Western countries have generally responded by recognizing these risks and granting asylum more frequently to Iranian nationals.

Factors Affecting Refugee Recognition

Refugee status is not determined solely by nationality. Several critical factors influence the outcome:

  • Credibility of the Claim: Even among nationals of high-risk countries, asylum seekers must provide detailed and credible evidence of persecution.
  • Host Country Policies: Each nation’s internal politics, immigration policy, and public sentiment affect how refugee claims are assessed.
  • International Awareness and Pressure: In high-profile humanitarian crises, political and media attention can lead to increased recognition rates as a form of international solidarity or humanitarian gesture.

Japan’s Refugee Policy: Realities and Challenges

Japan, while a signatory to the Refugee Convention, has one of the lowest refugee recognition rates among developed countries. In 2022, for instance, out of 3,772 applications, only 202 people were granted refugee status—a recognition rate of just 5.4%.

Key reasons for this low rate include:

  • Strict Evaluation Criteria: Japan demands highly specific and objective evidence of persecution. Even genuine fear is not sufficient unless it can be shown to align with a structural pattern of persecution.
  • Skepticism Toward Economic Migrants: Applicants from Southeast Asia or Africa are often suspected of applying for economic reasons, and their claims are frequently rejected.
  • Prolonged and Opaque Procedures: The screening process can take months or even years, with limited support for applicants during that time.
  • Detention Issues: Many asylum seekers are held in immigration detention centers for extended periods, drawing criticism from both domestic and international human rights organizations.

However, Japan has recently begun to take modest steps toward reform. In response to global criticism and humanitarian needs, the country has started to accept more evacuees from Afghanistan and Ukraine under a “quasi-refugee” status. Additionally, a new “complementary protection” system was introduced, allowing for humanitarian protection even when an individual does not meet the strict definition of a refugee under the Convention.

Conclusion

Today, the refugee crisis is both a humanitarian issue and a complex intersection of domestic policy, international law, and global politics. Countries such as Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine, Eritrea, and Iran continue to produce large numbers of asylum seekers who, based on documented risk of persecution, are often granted protection abroad. Meanwhile, Japan, despite its economic standing and international responsibilities, has yet to implement a robust refugee protection system.