SMART: Japan, Wary of Outsiders, Keeps Doors Closed to Refugees.

Out of the 7,533 people who applied for refugee status in 2014, or appealed earlier refusals, only 11 were approved. . . .

For most, the approval never comes: In the past five years, the proportion of applicants granted refugee status in Japan has dropped to below 1 percent — in 2014 it was just 0.2 percent. In contrast, Germany has accepted nearly 40,000 Syrian asylum-seekers since 2013, while the U.S. has pledged to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees and has resettled 2,234 since 2010. . . .

Immigration officials say they suspect many applicants of being job seekers, not true refugees fleeing persecution or conflict.

Related: Islamic Terrorism: Why There Is None In Japan.

Japan is practically closed to Muslims.

Officially, immigration to Japan is not closed to Muslims. But the number of the immigration permits given to the applicants from Islamic countries is very low. Obtaining a working visa is not easy for adepts of Islam, even if they are physicians, engineers and managers sent by foreign companies that are active in the region. As a result, Japan is “a country without Muslims”.