Japan drops plans to fast-track refugee deportations after Sri Lankan’s death in detention
- Ratnayake Liyanage Wishma Sandamali died in March after spending seven months in a detention centre, where she lost more than 20kg in weight
- Her death highlights the plight of foreigners detained by immigration authorities in Japan, who can spend years waiting for a decision on their case
The proposed legislative amendment, which had been widely condemned by opposition politicians and human rights groups alike, was withdrawn by the government on Tuesday.
Around 300 foreign nationals are currently detained in Japan awaiting deportation, according to Makiko Ando of the Solidarity Network with Migrants Japan. Until her death on March 6, 33-year-old Ratnayake Liyanage Wishma Sandamali was among them.
The Sri Lankan national had been detained in August for overstaying her student visa, which she used to enter Japan in 2017. She began complaining of ill-health in January, but her appeals to doctors at the detention centre in Nagoya were ignored even as she experienced dizziness, vomiting, and lost more than 20kg in weight.
Immigration officials listed her cause of death as “undetermined” and launched an investigation, with a full report set to be released in July.