to any stateless person.58 In 2014, detention orders were issued to 13 stateless persons and deportation orders to 2 stateless persons.59 (5) Re-entry Permit to Japan As mentioned above, the Re-entry Permit to Japan is the document which indicates that a foreigner with a residency permit is admitted to re-enter to Japan when the person cannot acquire a passport.60 If a person is a citizen of a country, the person can usually acquire a passport issued from the country of nationality. This means that when a foreigner cannot be issued a passport from the purported country of nationality, the person is or may be stateless. Therefore, some of the people who have been issued a reentry permit are stateless. Although the number of re-entry permits issued is not publicly released, 1,851 permits were issued in 2014 and 1,741 permits in 2015 according to a 2016 government response to questions presented by Keiko Itokazu, a member of the House of Representatives.61 However, a re-entry permit is not issued to a stateless person unless he or she applies for one, and not all people who are issued the permit are stateless. Stateless persons who have no intention to depart from Japan would not apply for a re-entry permit, since it is issued for the purpose of leaving Japan. For these reasons, it is not appropriate to equate the number of re-entry permits issued to that of stateless persons staying in Japan. (6) Other statistics Although the scope addressed is limited, the following statistics also refer to the number of stateless persons in Japan.62 58 Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, “Shutsunyuukoku Kanri Toukei 2015 Nen Nenpou, Nyuukoku Shinsa, Zairyuusshikaku Shinsa, Taikyo Kyousei Tetsudukitou [Immigration Statistics, 2015 Annual Report, Immigration Inspection, Residence Inspection, Deportation Procedures, etc.]” (June 2016), at http://www.e-stat.go.jp/SG1/estat/List.do?lid=000001153786. 59 Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, “Shutsunyuukoku Kanri Toukei 2014 Nen Nenpou, Nyuukoku Shinsa, Zairyuusshikaku Shinsa, Taikyo Kyousei Tetsudukitou [Immigration Statistics, 2014 Annual Report, Immigration Inspection, Residence Inspection, Deportation Procedures, etc.]” (June 2015), at http://www.e-stat.go.jp/SG1/estat/List.do?lid=000001135476. A Detention Order is issued when there are reasonable grounds to believe that a suspect is subject to deportation (ICRRA, Article 39). A Deportation Order is issued when, in accordance with the deportation procedures, a suspect is found to be subject to deportation (ICRRA, Article 24) (and when Special Permission to Stay as in note 122 below is not granted). Included in these statistics are persons who had been granted a status of residence at the time of landing but later became (or there were reasonable grounds to believe that they had become) subject to deportation by some reason during their stay. 60 See Chapter 1, Section 1, 1(2) in the current report. 61 Government Response on 22 December 2016 to questions by Councillor Itokazu, supra note 28.. 62 Although it is not directly related to the number of stateless persons, the Japan Patent Office Annual Report: Statistics and Materials publishes the number of patent applications by nationality. According to this report, in 2014, 293 patent applications were made by persons categorized as “Stateless, Other”. Japan Patent Office, “Tokkyo Gyousei Nenji Houkokusho 2015 Nenban – 130 Nenno Sangyou Hattenwo 35