(AFP) - A Japanese program aimed at accepting a small number of refugees from war-torn Syria is under fire from NGOs such as Amnesty International for supposedly implying that pregnant women are not welcome.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced in May that immigration-shy Japan, with a population of about 127 million, would accept up to 150 Syrian students over five years from 2017.
Originally, the program was advertised with the line: "Pregnant applicants are not recommended to apply," according to Amnesty and the government's Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which manages the program.
But after Amnesty and other groups expressed concerns, it was changed to read: "Before the application, pregnant applicants are advised to consider
carefully potential risk of health and life issues of mother and fetus."