Sasakawa Peace Foundation: Private sector facilitates support in Japan for people displaced from Ukraine

• Support Center for Refugees Japan (Support-R) to open on May 19, 2022

TOKYO, May 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF), Citizen's Network for Global Activities (CINGA), and Forum for Refugees Japan (FRJ), are pleased to announce the opening of the Support Center for Refugees Japan (Support-R) in Tokyo on May 19, 2022.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has forced many people to flee the country, some of whom have come to Japan. In response, the Japanese government alongside private organizations such as The Nippon Foundation have been working to provide support for these displaced people. In order for Ukrainians to be able to live safely in Japan, it is necessary to ensure these support measures are implemented effectively and that information is provided to all involved parties.

At the same time, some local governments in Japan and individuals supporting people displaced from Ukraine do not have much experience in welcoming non-Japanese residents and require guidance regarding the available support measures. People displaced from Ukraine also require access to consultation services to help resolve any issues that arise in their daily lives in Japan.

In light of these circumstances, CINGA, which has experience in providing support to non-Japanese people living in Japan, including refugees and displaced people; FRJ, which has knowledge and experience in supporting refugees in Japan; and SPF, which promotes efforts to realize a society in which Japanese and non-Japanese residents live together in harmony, have joined forces to establish a support center to bridge the gap between displaced people and available support measures.

Details:

1	Name	Support Center for Refugees Japan(Support-R)
2	Period	Open for 6 months beginning May 19, 2022
3	Target	Support providers (local governments, educational institutions, organizations, individuals, etc.), people displaced from Ukraine, etc.
4	Contact	Support providers: CINGA Phone: [phone] People displaced from Ukraine: FRJ Phone: [phone]* E-mail: [e-mail] *This number connects to the Japan Association for Refugees.
5	Website	https://support-r.org (open at 9AM JST on May 19)

After the opening of Support-R, we plan to hold a press conference to report on the status of the consultation. In addition to Ukraine, there are people who have fled to Japan from Afghanistan and other countries. We will consider expanding the scope of our counseling activities based on the knowledge gained through this initiative.

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