Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Criminal Complaint & A Silent Return Home

On Monday, June 28th, APFS lodged a criminal complaint against Mr. Suraj’s case. 3 months had passed since the case occurred on March 22nd. We were exasperated by the fact that not even the transfer for custory had been completed.

The video of the press conference after the criminal complaint can be viewed online for a limited time: http://video.aol.jp/video-detail/-/3434121529

Also, Daily Yomiuri has covered the case and placed it in the magazine as a special report: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20100629TDY01T03.htm

On the 29th, Mr. Suraj’s body made a silent return home to Ghana. Though not on the same flight, his wife departed for Ghana as well. The donation we received for the Suraj Foundation was passed on to Mrs. Suraj to cover her travel expenses (Thank you very much for the \97000 donated by June 28th). Due to the unexpectedly early departure, the donations we collected were not enough to cover the full expenses, causing Mrs. Suraj to borrow money from her friends to cover the rest. We would like to ask for your continued support and contributions to the Suraj Foundation so that we could assume the full expenses. Thank you for your cooperation.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Supporting the Victims of Human Trafficking -After participating in the workshop-

Hello. I am Yamane, a volunteer at APFS.

On Saturday, June 26th, I participated in the workshop, “IOM’s support for the victims of human trafficking,” held by the human trafficking task force coordinators from the IOM (International Organization for Migration) office in Japan. To be honest, I hadn’t known anything about human trafficking in Japan, as I thought it was a wide-spread crime outside of Japan.

I listened to stories of actual cases of human trafficking. A Filipino woman in her twenties was forced a fake marriage, was coercively taken to Japan from Manila, and worked under duress at a bar. A Thai woman (also in her twenties) entered Japan without knowing about her use of a fake passport and was forced to commit prostitution. I learned that many victims of human trafficking (for sexual and labor exploitation) suffer in Japan, and that they are in urgent need for help.

However, the low visibility of human trafficking in the Japanese society has caused a lag in the distribution of support, and we also lack government efforts and public shelters.
 
I have decided to inform the people around me of what I learned at the workshop.
I hope to participate in a workshop again. Thank you very much.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Speaking with students from Ochanomizu University


Professor Keichi Kumagai and seven students from Ochanomizu
University came to visit the APFS office!

APFS Representative Jotaro Kato began by introducing APFS’s history as an organization that has worked together with non-regular migrants to help them overcome countless difficulties. He also went on to discuss our current activities and future prospects, from our vantage as a rapidly changing organization.

Then, one of APFS’s members Garcia-san talked about his desire to live in Japan, and his feelings for his family here.  The students surely saw how deeply Garcia-san has connected with Japanese people over the course of his life here in Japan, especially when he became teary-eyed as he recalled Japanese people who had helped him in the past.

Students asked a number of impressive questions such as:

"How does APFS interact with and gain the understanding of the community?"
"Why would some people be denied Special Residence Permits, even when they meet specific guidelines?"
"Do problems arise when the primary language of parents is different than that of their children?”

We were very impressed by the sharp minds of the students and, ultimately, our time together was very educational for us all!

Nothing would make us happier than if this should lead to a greater understanding of and interest in non-regular migrants in Japan.

We would like to extend our gratitude to Professor Kumagai and everybody at Ochanomizu University!

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Donations needed to help Suraj & his family

Abubakar Awudu Suraj died during a forced deportation on March 22, 2010. Right now preparations are being made to send his body to Ghana.

APFS is asking all our friends and members for donations so that Suraj’s widow may accompany her husband’s body on the trip to Ghana.

The Ministry of Justice has agreed to pay expenses for sending Suraj’s body, but they are refusing to pay for his widow’s accompaniment. Suraj’s widow not only suddenly lost the husband she shared her life with for more than 20 years, she has been unable to learn of the circumstances of his death. How cruel that she be denied this one chance to accompany him to his country and see his family.

Please help us see that Suraj’s widow will be able to accompany her husband on his final journey home and be there when he is reunited with his family. 

Please send donations to:
Bank Name: Japan Post Bank            
Account Holder: APFS
Account Number: 00180-1-7915
*Please write “Donations for Suraj’s family” on the form.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Yonsei University Associate Professor visits APFS

Yonsei University Associate Professor Seung-Mi Han, introduced to APFS by Professor Ichiro Watado of Meisei University, came to our office to speak with us as a part of her current survey.

Equivalent to Keio University in Japan, Yonsei University is known as one of Korea’s most popular universities.

The discussion centered on APFS consultations and activities as well as our work building relationships with local governments.

Professor Han showed particular interest in the creation of a movement in Japan for normalizing non-regular migrants.


We have the good fortune of welcoming many researchers and students at APFS’s office. We hope to see more and more people showing an interest as we continue our work into the future.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Visitations at the Ibaraki detention center

Today, we attended to some visitation appointments and applications for temporary release at the Immigration Bureau in Ibaraki.

We visited three people: Iranian “A”-san, Pakistani “M”-san, and Nigerian “G”-san. All three have been kept in detention for a long time (6+ months). “M”-san has lost roughly 17 kilos since entering and we noticed a dramatic increase in gray hairs. “M”-san, who also has a Japanese spouse and children, talked about how difficult it has been to say goodbye to the children each time they visit.

“A”-san said, while pointing to scar on his forehead, that a few days ago, “I did something pretty stupid and started banging my head on the wall."

The psychological impact of these indefinite detentions is very scary. Just a few months ago a Brazilian committed suicide in this very facility. Apparently on the day of the suicide the Brazilian was talking to his family on the phone and had asked his child, "Where would you like to go when I get my temporary release?" And yet that night he committed suicide (“A”-san shared this story.)

Is it necessary to push these men and women into such a mental state? We cannot help but feel angry.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Attended in the 60th anniversary of Yuuza Oyama arcade encouragement Union

I am Kato, representative of APFS. Thank you for always looking at this blog.

I attended in the the 60th anniversary of Yuuza Oyama arcade encouragement Union on May 18th, Tuesday night. APFS has realized that we aims at being a community-based NGO and participated in the arcade since 2009.
It was a great ceremony that a ward headman of Itabasiku, local members of the House of Representatives and other prominent people got together.

We looked back the history of these six decades and confirmed to make this arcade more revitalized.
The average of age was perhaps forty five years old so, I was overwhelmingly younger among them.
The arcade owners kindly told me when and what kind of events are going on and what is necessary for being acquainted with the community.

Then, we are probably able to open branches in summer festival (so-called “Bonodori”), the arcade holds, this year too.
The “Asian” color will be added into the arcade.
APFS may be going to open Burmese and Pilipino food branches.

People who wear Yukata will be sent out so that it will be very suitable if you who want to see the fascinating arcade.
The summer festival will be on July 31st and August 1st.
We will let you know on this web cite if the details are decided.

The bowling game and drinking party

This is Igarashi, one of volunteers.
On May 30th, Sunday, the bowling game and drinking party were held at the Rosa Kaikan, Ikebukuro. Twenty four people of APFS stuffs, volunteers and foreign members and their families got together and it became a day, full of their smiles.
In the bowling game, we were divided depend on the lanes and the foreigners, especially, seemed to be really excited to play the games. It was said that the winners will be recognized and given a gift in the drinking party so that everyone were excited. The higher rank was a fight between the Pilipino and Japanese.

Also, nine teen of them participated in the drinking party and were greatly excited as well as the bowling game.
It was really impressive that APFS stuffs, volunteers and foreigners and their families equally drunk, ate, sang and communicated together well. In the Karaoke, foreign members sang Japanese songs and Japanese sang English songs. Such figures told me that this gathering also meant significant time as a cultural exchange.

In fact, I had been a little bit anxious about foreign members before I went there. It was because I was captured by the imagines that foreigners in Japan must be sad and poor.
However, it was overthrown when I met them at the bowling game. I faced their smile and positive mind, and received so much power from them rather than giving them my power. Then, this time I realized that my task for the future is to have more interests about them and think about them more deeply

I think everyone got closed more than before threw this bowling game and drinking party.
I, also, hope that we can grow together by understanding this meeting as a good opportunity.