Japan still faces human rights issue of Fukushima refugees

More than ten years have passed since the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. It was triggered by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami, which killed nearly 20,000 people. The second-worst nuclear disaster in history caused massive environmental damage and loss of life.

36,000 Fukushima refugees can’t return home

The tragedy did not stop in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. Around 164,000 Fukushima residents evacuated the area as a result of the nuclear meltdown. As of 2021, there are still about 36,000 disaster refugees unable to return to their hometowns. While some are within the prefecture themselves, many have moved to other areas of Japan. The United Nations refers to such people as Internally Displaced Persons. IDPs are essentially domestic refugees. They have fled their homes for safety while not crossing any international borders.

Fukushima refugees, especially women and children, have faced enormous difficulties and discrimination. The stigma surrounding them is strong, and children have been the target of bullying and misconceptions regarding evacuees. As exposure to radiation is a higher risk for women, they have had to make tough choices after leaving Fukushima. Lifting evacuation orders and ending financial support for some refugees have meant women choosing between dangerous areas or financial hardship.

Fukushima evacuees forced to make difficult choices

Controversies surrounding the handling of the crisis have been a part of this. Recently, there has been backlash and criticism towards the disposal of radiated water into the ocean, potentially affecting Fukushima’s fishing industry. Relevant to ordinary citizens wishing to return is the government’s policy regarding radiation levels in the prefecture. The official policy allows people to return to and live in areas with significantly higher radiation levels than accepted standards. This poses an especially high risk for children, who are more susceptible to radiation-related problems such as cancers.

These policies are also problematic because they force evacuees to make difficult choices regarding returning to their hometowns. Evacuees either return to nuclear contaminated cities or face the challenge of starting a new life elsewhere in Japan, often without compensation. Some of these people are considered “voluntary evacuees” who were not living in officially designated evacuation areas. In 2017, voluntary evacuees stopped being able to receive housing subsidies to live in other parts of the country.

Is Japan taking steps to protect human rights?

Such policies have been widely criticized as human rights violations in and outside of Japan. United Nations officials have been particularly vocal and have called the policies and lack of support for Fukushima evacuees human rights violations. They have been critical of the planned dumping of contaminated water, as well as the lack of support for voluntary evacuees. UN special rapporteurs have expressed frustration at what they see as the ignoring of requests and proposals and denial of problems regarding the Fukushima situation and other issues.

While Japan has officially accepted United Nations proposals in the past, some feel that substantial action to improve the lives of these refugees has not been taken. This is especially true concerning the status of and support for voluntary evacuees.

Ten years have passed since the Fukushima crisis, and it is still not truly over for many who experienced it firsthand. The future is uncertain as both Fukushima residents and refugees worry about radiation levels and the effects on their health and that of their children. The aftermath of Fukushima shows how vital safety, stability and health are to human rights.