Gaijin dad deported to Pakistan ahead of trial date

United for a Multicultural Japan, Press Release
Date : June 4, 2001
 

***PRESS RELEASE***
From : James Gibbs, Vice President, United for a Multicultural Japan (Tokyo Office)
Contact : Tel. 03-5255-3090, Fax. 03-5255-3160
e-mail: v-pres-@tabunka.org

United for a Multicultural Japan (Head office)
Tel: 0471-20-8407 Fax: 0471-20-8408
e-mail: umj-@tabunka.org
HP: http://www.tabunka.org

Date : June 4, 2001
Ref : http://www.japantraveler.com/issues/0007/freekenny.html
: Asahi Evening News article, March 7, 2001
(Foreign dad sues to stay in Japan)
: Japan Times, March 17, 2001 Article
("Father's plight raises immigration policy questions.")

Headline : Gaijin dad deported to Pakistan ahead of trial date

On Tuesday, May 29, 2001, immigration officials at the Ushiku detention
facility suddenly and secretly took Ken Massey to the airport and
forcibly sent him to Pakistan. In a very unusual case, two immigration
officials accompanied Massey on the airplane, and the group was met by a
representative of the Japanese consulate at the airport in Pakistan to
confirm Massey's arrival.

Massey, who had a pending lawsuit against immigration to stop his
deportation order and a trial date set for July 12, was not told about
the action until just hours before departure, nor was his attorney
informed of it. According to Massey's attorney, Satoshi Murata of Murata
Law Office (Tel. 03-3352-5941), this forced removal of his client from
Japan will cause the scheduled July 12 court hearing to be of no use and
require a different petition to be filed. Murata also said immigration's
actions came as a big surprise, and were of a malicious and deceitful
manner intended to stop the court proceedings. According to Murata,
immigration clearly did not want this case to go to court and be
publicized as it will expose a dark side of immigration policy regarding
families which is in violation of the Japanese constitution.

Massey was suing for the right not to be deported based on the following
principles:
1) 17 years of law abiding residence in Japan.
2) Two Japanese children (from a marriage of 10 years that ended in
divorce in 1995) who have a right to his continued emotional and
financial support.
3) Massey's own human rights as a productive member of society in Japan
for his entire adult life, including, having immediate family (his
children) in Japan, established employment, a home with belongings other
property, a network of friends, paying taxes, and contributing to the
social insurance schemes.