Refugee Status

QUESTION

I was a refugee applicant. I’ve stayed in Japan for almost a year. Then, there was an emergency in the Philippines, so I made a difficult decision to voluntarily cancel my refugee application. Can I still go back to Japan? Or am I already black listed? Can I cancel my refugee visa when I already have an alien card because I want to go home to my country? Thank you.

ANSWER

Please find my answer and comment as follows:

a. Yes, you can withdraw your application for refugee.

b. Then, you can go back to the Philippines after that.

c. However, you are almost impossible to come back to Japan and have no way to apply for refugee again. Because you have no persecution in your home country since you can go back there.

d. For more information, please read my column in Philippine Digest January 2018 issue or visit our website.