Japan violated human rights of 13-year-old Noriko, says Migrante
MANILA, Philippines — Migrante International on Wednesday denounced the Japanese government’s deportation of the Philippine-born parents of 13-year-old Noriko as a violation of the child’s human rights.
“We are deeply saddened, at the same time, angered by the decision of the Japanese government," Migrante chairperson Garry Martinez said a day after couple Arlan and Sarah Calderon were sent back to the Philippines from Japan after being declared illegal aliens.
Their 13-year-old daughter, Noriko, was allowed to stay in Japan under the care of relatives. Noriko was born and raised in Japan and is currently a junior high school in Warabi, Saitama Prefecture.
According to Martinez, the deportation has shown that the Japanese government, despite the Japanese people’s much-touted respect for family values, has shown how they could be callous where migrants’ rights are concerned.
The family requested that they be allowed to stay together as a family until the end of Noriko’s high school education; then they will leave. This request was in line with the Japanese Immigration Bureau’s tendency to grant special permission to undocumented families whose children are Japan-born and can only speak Japanese.
The Japanese consider it “inhumane" to deport a child who is already in junior high school and has spent more than six years in Japan’s education system.
“This decision has shown that the ‘inhuman’ Japanese government prefers to send an ominous warning to other irregular migrants rather than protect the rights of a child," Martinez said in a press statement.
“At a time when vicious and violent attacks are being instigated against undocumented or irregular migrants, we view this decision to deport as just another form of 'cruel and unusual punishment' inflicted on irregular migrants," he said.
He added: "Many rich countries, who have failed miserably in lifting their countries out of the severe global crisis, are now using irregular migrants as convenient scapegoats to escape the blame. Look at the violent government raids against ‘undocs’ in South Korea, Canada and the United States. We fear that these attacks will even become worse as the crisis worsens."
Martinez also expressed disdain for the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs' announcement that they will ‘extend their support for the deported family.’
“Instead of calling on the Japanese government to put the rights of the child as the priority, this servile government would prefer to grovel and kowtow to Japan and mouth inane comments."
Japan is one of the 193 state parties, which signed and ratified the UN Convention of the Rights of Child. The Convention acknowledges that every child has certain basic rights, including the right to life, his or her own name and identity, to be raised by his or her parents within a family or cultural grouping and have a relationship with both parents, even if they are separated.
The Convention obliges states to allow parents to exercise their parental responsibilities. The Convention also acknowledges that children have the right to express their opinions and to have those opinions heard and acted upon when appropriate, to be protected from abuse or exploitation, to have their privacy protected and requires that their lives not be subject to excessive interference. - D'Jay Lazaro, GMANews.TV
“We are deeply saddened, at the same time, angered by the decision of the Japanese government," Migrante chairperson Garry Martinez said a day after couple Arlan and Sarah Calderon were sent back to the Philippines from Japan after being declared illegal aliens.
Their 13-year-old daughter, Noriko, was allowed to stay in Japan under the care of relatives. Noriko was born and raised in Japan and is currently a junior high school in Warabi, Saitama Prefecture.
According to Martinez, the deportation has shown that the Japanese government, despite the Japanese people’s much-touted respect for family values, has shown how they could be callous where migrants’ rights are concerned.
The family requested that they be allowed to stay together as a family until the end of Noriko’s high school education; then they will leave. This request was in line with the Japanese Immigration Bureau’s tendency to grant special permission to undocumented families whose children are Japan-born and can only speak Japanese.
The Japanese consider it “inhumane" to deport a child who is already in junior high school and has spent more than six years in Japan’s education system.
“This decision has shown that the ‘inhuman’ Japanese government prefers to send an ominous warning to other irregular migrants rather than protect the rights of a child," Martinez said in a press statement.
“At a time when vicious and violent attacks are being instigated against undocumented or irregular migrants, we view this decision to deport as just another form of 'cruel and unusual punishment' inflicted on irregular migrants," he said.
He added: "Many rich countries, who have failed miserably in lifting their countries out of the severe global crisis, are now using irregular migrants as convenient scapegoats to escape the blame. Look at the violent government raids against ‘undocs’ in South Korea, Canada and the United States. We fear that these attacks will even become worse as the crisis worsens."
Martinez also expressed disdain for the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs' announcement that they will ‘extend their support for the deported family.’
“Instead of calling on the Japanese government to put the rights of the child as the priority, this servile government would prefer to grovel and kowtow to Japan and mouth inane comments."
Japan is one of the 193 state parties, which signed and ratified the UN Convention of the Rights of Child. The Convention acknowledges that every child has certain basic rights, including the right to life, his or her own name and identity, to be raised by his or her parents within a family or cultural grouping and have a relationship with both parents, even if they are separated.
The Convention obliges states to allow parents to exercise their parental responsibilities. The Convention also acknowledges that children have the right to express their opinions and to have those opinions heard and acted upon when appropriate, to be protected from abuse or exploitation, to have their privacy protected and requires that their lives not be subject to excessive interference. - D'Jay Lazaro, GMANews.TV
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