Deportation orders on 2 stateless people repealed+

TOKYO, Feb. 19 Kyodo -
Two foreigners who claim to be stateless won a suit on Friday that sought a
repeal of the Japanese government's order to depart them to Vietnam.

The Tokyo District Court repealed the Justice Ministry's order, saying in the
ruling there is room to question the Justice Ministry's decision to designate
Vietnam as the destination of their deportation.
Japan's immigration control and refugee recognition law stipulates that any
person subject to deportation shall be deported to a country of which he or she
is a national or citizen.
Presiding Judge Norihiko Sugihara ruled the ministry's decision illegal and
said it is not clear if the two men are Vietnamese nationals.
Court findings showed that the two, who are now in their 40s and 50s, were born
in Thailand as sons of Vietnamese refugees who fled from Vietnam during the
1946 to 1954 First Indochina War fought between French forces and Viet Minh
liberation forces.
The plaintiffs, who entered Japan with other persons' passports, were
apprehended on suspicion of illegally entering the country. There are no data
to identify nationalities of the two who are currently on provisional release.
The plaintiffs wished to be deported to Thailand where their relatives live.
The three-judge panel ruled there was a significant problem in Japanese
immigration authorities' procedures to examine the plaintiffs and they failed
to explain why they decided to deport them to Vietnam.
The two plaintiffs told reporters later they are happy and hope to return to
Thailand. They also said they wish to stay in Japan if Thailand would not
accept them.
Supporters of the plaintiffs said many destination countries of deportees who
are offspring of refugees refuse to accept them because of nationality
problems.
The supporters said they will seek special permission for similar stateless
people to stay in Japan.
==Kyodo
2010-02-19 22:32:19