Japan's main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party has blocked a vote on a controversial bill to amend the country's immigration law allowing foreigners to repeatedly apply for refugee status.

Under the current law, foreign nationals cannot be deported while their refugee status applications are being processed.

The draft legislation would allow deportation if they applied three or more times unless adequate reasons are given.

It would also allow those facing deportation to stay out of immigration detention facilities. They would be able to live elsewhere under the supervision of authorized supporters.

The bill is currently under deliberation at the Upper House Judicial Affairs Committee after it passed the Lower House.

At the committee's board meeting on Thursday, lawmakers of the ruling parties proposed a vote on the bill, saying that they have spent enough time on deliberation.

Lawmakers of the Constitutional Democratic Party and other opposition parties rejected the proposal. They oppose the bill, calling for increased transparency in the immigration screening process for refugee status.

They also argued that some immigration officials deal with many more refugee status applications than others in the screening process.

Sugi Hisatake of the ruling coalition partner Komeito suggested that he would proceed with the vote given his authority as the committee's chair.

The opposition Constitutional Democrats put forward a motion to dismiss Sugi to block voting.

The ruling camp intends to vote down the motion at the Upper House plenary session on Friday and seek the enactment of the legislation next week.