When the best is the enemy of the good: the ironic negotiation process of Japan’s controversial asylum amendment bill

Abstract After more than 2 years of intense public debate, controversy, and nationwide protests, the Amendment Bill on Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (ICRRA) was passed into law by the Japanese Diet in June 2023 and took full effect in June 2024. The Bill contained problematic proposals regarding asylum, detention, and deportation, receiving harsh national and international criticism. The legislative negotiation process saw a real possibility of bipartisan compromise and substantial revisions to reduce the risks for unlawfully staying asylum seekers. Ironically, this possibility was crushed by a few politicians and pro-human rights activists who rejected any compromise and inadvertently allowed the original government-sponsored Bill to be passed by the Diet. Based on my direct involvement in the negotiation process as an independent expert witness who testified before the Japanese Diet, this field reflection underlines the critical importance of political analysis and strategic concessions, particularly on controversial subjects like irregular migration and failed asylum seekers.