A language in a Japanese program that implied that pregnant refugee women from war-torn Syria will not be accepted into the country has been deleted.

Like Us on Facebook

Last May, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that Japan would accept up to 150 Syrian students over a five-year period from 2017. The program, entitled "Japanese Initiative for the Future of Syrian Refugees," has several strict requirements for potential applicants.

However, the Japanese branch of Amnesty International raised concerns that the program for Syrian refugees virtually excludes pregnant women.

According to the Amnesty International and the government's Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the original version included the caveat that "pregnant applicants are not recommended to apply."

After such concern was raised, the statement 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."

JICA spokesperson Satoshi Murakami said on Wednesday that the organization would completely remove the clause, saying "It is creating a misunderstanding." 

However, Murakami stressed that the main focus of the program was "not to rescue the underprivileged, but to educate personnel for Syria's reconstruction."

"When a pregnant woman comes to Japan and gives birth, she will have to rest for some time," Murakami said while also insisting that the program is not meant to exclude pregnant women.

During a refugees' summit hosted by US President Barrack Obama, Abe also pledged that Japan would "warmly welcome" the families of the Syrian students who would be accepted into the country.

Japan is notoriously immigration-shy, and that figure is relatively smaller compared with other countries. In March, British firm Oxfam revealed that based on the size of its economy, Japan has the capacity to take in approximately 50,000 Syrians. 

Japan's Justice Ministry, on the other hand, said the country had accepted 27 refugees last year including three Syrians.

TagsJapan, Islamic State in Syria, Amnesty International