2008.02.07 up
In February 2008 the Immigration Bureau of the Ministry of Justice of Japan revealed the number of victims of trafficking who were protected or given support for repatriation in the year 2007. According to the announcement, 40 foreign women (47 in 2006) were given such protection or support. Of these, 22 came from the Philippines, 11 from Indonesia, 5 from Thailand and 2 from South Korea.
The number of victims shows a decreasing trend since the Immigration Bureau started publishing this information in 2005 when 115 victims were protected. The Bureau evaluated their imposing countermeasures such as tougher immigration screening since the "Action Plan of Measures to Combat Trafficking in Persons" was compiled by the Japanese government in December 2004.
With regard to the perpetrators, the Immigration Bureau issued an expulsion order to 5 foreign nationals on the charge of violating the Immigration Control Law relating to human trafficking; there were 2 Filipinos, 2 Thais and an Indonesian. (25February 2008)
Sources:
· Ministry of Justice press release "Situation of Victims of Trafficking Protected or Given Support for Repatriation in 2007" [Japanese]
http://www.moj.go.jp/
See also:
Ministry of Justice: 47 Victims of Trafficking Protected in Japan in 2006 (Hurights Osaka News in Brief 2007)
https://www.hurights.or.jp/archives/newsinbrief-en/section1/2007/03/ministry-of-justice-47-victims-of-trafficking-protected-in-japan-in-2006.html