Japan accepted 74 refugees in 2021, highest on record

Japan granted refugee status to 74 people seeking asylum in 2021, the highest level since it began recognizing refugees in 1982, the immigration agency said Friday.While the number jumped from 27 in 2020, it remains significantly lower than in the West, where some countries accept more than 10,000 refugees annually.The situation has prompted calls for Japan to shift from what critics say is a policy of seclusion regarding refugees.According to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan, the largest number of refugees, at 32, came from Myanmar, reflecting a military coup in February last year …READ FULL ARTICLE