Japan: Human chain draws attention to plight of detained foreigners

From The Japan Times Online:

Hundreds of people formed a human chain in front of the Justice Ministry on Wednesday, seeking to draw attention to the plight of more than 1,000 foreigners held at detention centers across the country in connection with immigration procedures.

The rally comes amid protests by human rights lawyers and campaigners in Japan over what they describe as undue, lengthy detention periods faced by these foreigners.
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According to ministry statistics, 523,617 people were detained in 2003 at immigration detention centers located in areas such as Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward and Ushiku, Ibaraki Prefecture. Organizers said this works out to an average 1,435 people detained on a daily basis.