In a show of reluctance to accept foreigners, Japan only accepted three refugees in the first semester of this year, out of a record 8,561 new asylum applications, its government reported on Tuesday. The country’s policy has been consistent, possibly even stricter compared to last year, when it rejected more than 99 per cent of refugees attempting to claim asylum, accepting only 28 people. According to the UNHCR, 65.6 million people are currently living as refugees or as displaced persons inside their own countries. This includes 10.3 million people who were uprooted from their homes in 2016.