2019.3.1

The Government of Japan decided to accept Indo-Chinese refugees for settlement in Japan in 1978. The Coordination Council for Indo-Chinese Refugees and Displaced Persons was set up at the Cabinet Secretariat to move ahead on measures and policies for promotion of settlement. In November 1979, the government entrusted the work of settlement to the Foundation for the Welfare and Education of the Asian People （FWEAP）, and the Refugee Assistance Headquarters (RHQ) was established under the Foundation. Japan has accepted more than 11,000 Indo-Chinese refugees. This project was ended in March 2006.

Japan acceded to the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, and established a refugee recognition system in 1982. The Ministry of Justice examines each application for refugee status in the light of the Refugee Convention. （Convention Refugees）　In August 2002, it was decided with cabinet approval to grant assistance for settlement to Convention refugees as well. It was also decided that the task for settlement of the Convention Refugees was to be entrusted to RHQ.

In December 2008, the Goverment of Japan decided by its cabinet approval to launch a resettlement pilot project. Based on the decision, Myanmar refugees from refugee camps in Thailand (18 families 86 persons) were accepted from 2010 to 2014.In January 2014, the Cabinet decided to accept Myanmar refugees from Malaysia after the five-year pilot program, and 6 families 19 persons were accepted as a third-country resettlement refugee in 2015. In 2016, 18 members of seven families, 29 members of 8 families in 2017, and 22 people from five families came to Japan to complete the settlement support program in 2018. In September 2019 , 20 people from six families came to Japan to implement a settlement support program. RHQ provided the Settlement Support Program to them.

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