CHAIR’S SUMMARY
The 3rd Tokyo Immigration Forum
Tokyo, 20 - 22 December 2023
1. The 3rd Tokyo Immigration Forum was held in person from 20 to 22 December
2023 in Tokyo, hosted by the Immigration Services Agency and attended by
immigration authorities of Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada,
China, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines,
Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam. In
addition, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and relevant
ministries attended the forum.
2. Minister of Justice Koizumi Ryuji delivered the opening speech, stating that it
would be a significant contribution to the international community to share best
practices and information on the challenges faced by each immigration authority,
and that the participating immigration authorities should work closely and
cooperate together in order to respond to various challenges they are facing in
establishing appropriate border control measures and building inclusive societies.
3. Mr. Kikuchi Hiroshi, the chairperson of this forum and Commissioner of
Immigration Services Agency of Japan then delivered his remarks. The
Commissioner stated that it was essential for us to continue the dialogue to deepen
understanding and to share common values, and expressed his hope that this
forum, which is held every year, would provide an opportunity for continuous
dialogue and build next-generation partnerships.
4. Following an opening speech, Ms. Amy E. Pope, Director General of IOM
delivered the keynote speech. The Director General explained the current global
migration outlook and the need to better understand the trends and to address more
deeply the structural drivers of international migration. The Director General then
called for cross-border mobility based on effective rights-based identity
management systems that are inclusive and can operate effectively, and the
Director General also urged the participants to strengthen regular labor migration
pathways with adequate protections for migrants. Finally, the Director General
reiterated IOM’s commitment to work with member states and stakeholders.
5. In the plenary session, under the agenda item of "Protection of Human Rights of
Foreign Nationals in the Immigration Administration", the panelists and
participants discussed issues the participating immigration authorities are facing
and their responses while being required to balance "strict and appropriate
immigration control and residency management" and "respect for fundamental
human rights of foreign nationals."
6. On the second day, the four Breakout Sessions were held, where the participants
shared challenges and exchanged opinions on the following four agenda items:
"Recently-Introduced Immigration Measures", "Public Relations Activities in the
Immigration Administration", "Protection of Refugees and Forcibly Displaced
Persons" and "Preventive Measures against Illegal Entrants including Irregular
Migrants."
7. Before the Breakout Sessions in the afternoon, Ms. Elizabeth Tan, the Director of
the Division of International Protection of UNHCR delivered the speech of her
perspectives on the current global situation for refugees, forcibly displaced and
stateless persons, some of the challenges posed by regional and cross-regional
movement of displaced populations, and how UNHCR sees opportunities for
strengthening protection and solutions through closer cooperation among relevant
stakeholders, including States and the IOM, and a comprehensive set of measures
in different countries managing such movements. In addition, Mr. Ayaki Ito, the
UNHCR Representative for Japan, briefed the participants about the Global
Compact on Refugees and made remarks on the key discussions and takeaways
from the 2nd Global Refugee Forum that took place in Geneva, Switzerland, from
13 to 15 December 2023.
8. The participants expressed their support for the significance of the forum and its
purpose, as stated by Minister of Justice Koizumi, and for the role that it plays as
an international platform between immigration authorities. The participants
acknowledged the need to share challenges and exchange views between
immigration authorities continuously on the themes discussed during the forum
and other immigration-related matters.
9. The Chair thanked all the participants for their support and contributions to the
forum, expressed his hope that the forum would continue to be held on a regular
basis, and announced that the next forum will be held in Tokyo in 2024.