The Osaka District Court's ruling ordering the state to recognize Ugandan women who fled to Japan after complaining of persecution because of their homosexuality as refugees has been confirmed without appeal. On the 30th, the woman submitted a request to the Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau to be recognized as a refugee as soon as possible.
A Ugandan national in her 30s who currently lives in Kansai was arrested by the local police for being gay and complained that she was persecuted by the beating, and she fled to Japan three years ago, but was not recognized as a refugee and was ordered to be forcibly deported, so she filed a lawsuit against the government for refugee status.
In a ruling on March 3, the Osaka District Court ordered the government to recognize them as refugees, saying, "Since Uganda has a penal code equivalent to punishing homosexuals, we must infer that they can be punished or physically restrained if they return to their home countries."
The country did not appeal by the 3th day of the deadline, and this judgment was confirmed.
The Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau is expected to proceed with the refugee status process, and the lawyers representing the woman and her lawyers submitted a request for a prompt response on the 15th.
The Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau commented, "Now that the judgment has been finalized, we will respond appropriately after consultation with the higher authorities."
"I want to study Japanese and get a job that cares for the elderly."
After the verdict was confirmed Japan, the plaintiff, a Ugandan woman, said through an interpreter, "I would like to say thank you to the people who supported me. I think we can envision a better future. In the future, I would like to study Japanese so that I can communicate and get a job that cares for the elderly."
The women's lawyers also called the ruling groundbreaking because it is the first time in the country that a country has ordered a refugee on the grounds of LGBT and other sexual minorities.
"This is a just ruling in which the judges squarely confront women's lives, physical safety, and human dignity, and once again showed that any errors in the judgment of the administrative agency will be corrected by the judiciary. In light of the attitude of countries that have continued to contest the status of women as refugees, it is difficult to say that the Immigration and Refugee Management Agency will immediately change its stance of stubbornly refusing to accept refugees, and it is necessary to carefully monitor developments in the future."