Family members of a Sri Lankan woman who died in March while being kept at an immigration detention facility in Nagoya visited the Nagoya Regional Immigration Services Bureau on Monday, seeking explanations for the circumstances of her death.
The family and their supporters claim the woman did not receive appropriate medical attention, but the bureau avoided giving clear answers, saying the matter was being investigated by the Immigration Services Agency.
The woman, Wishma Sandamali, arrived in Japan in June 2017 to study Japanese. She was detained last August for illegally overstaying her visa. Since mid-January this year, she had been experiencing health problems including vomiting and dizziness, and died on March 6, aged 33. Her supporters argue that Sandamali was unable to receive care such as an IV drip infusion or hospitalization.
In the interim report of an investigation released by the Immigration Services Agency in April, the cause of death was listed as "undetermined." The final report is expected to be released around July.
Sandamali's sisters Wayomi, 28, and Poornima, 26, traveled to Japan after her death and held a press conference on Monday after visiting the bureau in Nagoya.
They said that during the visit they asked the reason for not letting their sister be hospitalized and requested the release of surveillance camera footage of their sister in the facility. The bureau did not respond to their questions or requests.
During the press conference, the sisters expressed their anger, saying they felt the bureau was trying to evade responsibility by not answering their questions. According to the supporters, the family will also request a meeting with Justice Minister Yoko Kamikawa and will keep demanding the government to uncover the truth regarding Sandamali's death.
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