The State, Ethnic Community, and Refugee Resettlement in Japan

Bibliographic Data

ID2308566
AuthorsK Lee (0000-0002-3625-1915, corresponding author), Sang Kook Lee (0000-0002-6353-3782, Yonsei University, Korea)
Year2018
Volume53
Issue8
Pages1219-1234
Publication date2018-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Asian and African Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0021-9096 • E-ISSN: 1745-2538
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0021909618777277
OpenAlexW2804330465
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited25

Using the case of Karen refugees in Japan, this paper examines how a state-driven refugee resettlement policy resulted in refugees suffering under difficult conditions and how, in turn, this drove the existing ethnic community to become an active player in assisting resettled refugees to adapt, in contest with the state. Japan was the first Asian country to initiate a refugee resettlement program in 2010. However, the government failed to consult with other stakeholders, notably the ethnic community, causing difficulties for the refugees in adapting to their new life. In helping resolving this crisis, the Karen community emerged as a legitimate actor in the governance of these refugees. The current study highlights the contest between the state and ethnic communities over resettlement programs and contributes to the understanding of the structural formation that influences refugees in the early stage of resettlement

CONTEST · Economic growth · Ethnic community · Ethnic group · Government (linguistics · Political science · Refugee · State (computer science · Asian Geopolitics and Ethnography · Migration and Labor Dynamics · Migration, Refugees, and Integration · Law

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