Lawmaker protests after Japan immigration official says gay detainee has 'mental problem' March 14, 2023 (Mainichi Japan) Japanese version House of Councillors member Taiga Ishikawa, left, and Akemi Mano answer questions after lodging a protest at the Nagoya Regional Immigration Services Bureau 偽ブランド  in Nagoya's Minato Ward on March 10, 2023. (Mainichi/Shinichiro Kawase) NAGOYA -- A Japanese lawmaker is demanding answers after an immigration official told a gay Brazilian detainee in his 20s that he has "a psychological problem" and worried that he would "do something to others" at the Nagoya Regional Immigration Services Bureau here. "To say that the man 'has a psychological problem' lacks basic awareness about sexual minorities ブランドコピーN級品  and the worry that due to his sexual identity, the gay man 'would do something sexual to other men' can only be seen as prejudice," said Taiga Ishikawa, a House of Councillors member of the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP). Ishikawa ブランドコピー服  who is gay, intends to question Justice Minister Ken Saito over the case at the upper house Committee on Judicial Affairs. The CDP lawmaker said he learned of the incident from Akemi Mano, the 69-year-old head of a group battling human rights violations at the Nagoya immigration bureau ブランドコピー財布  after Mano had met with the Brazilian detainee on Feb. 27. Ishikawa met with the man on March 10, and then with bureau deputy head Koichi Yamazaki to protest. Ishikawa demanded an explanation of the background to the official's comments, as well as confirmation of the facts. Ishikawa also insisted that detention center staff needed human rights training. He apparently asked the immigration bureau to "ensure that sexual minorities will not receive extreme discriminatory treatment because of their sexuality." In response 時計コピー  Ishikawa quoted Yamazaki as saying, "I'm not aware of the content (of the comment). I'd like to check." According to Ishikawa and Mano, the Brazilian man has been in detention since October 2022. He apparently told the immigration official immediately after the offensive remark that he is not a brute and did not come to Japan in search of a romantic partner. The official apparently apologized right away. The Nagoya Regional Immigration Services Bureau has said it is "confirming the matter and cannot respond any further." (Japanese original by Shinichiro Kawase, Nagoya News Center) Font Size SML Print Go to The Mainichi Home Page Related Articles Editorial: Immigration bill shows Japan gov't has learned nothing about human rights Prosecutors to reopen probe against Nagoya immigration officials over Sri Lankan's death Editorial: Court order spotlights fundamental inhumanity of Japan's immigration agency Same-sex couple from Tanzania seek asylum in Japan to escape life imprisonment fears