The Lower House is deliberating a bill to amend the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law and related legislation to create a new “ikusei shuro” (training and employment) system to accept non-skilled workers from overseas as part of steps to secure a stable source of labor.
The proposed system would replace the technical intern training program, which has come under fierce criticism for exploiting vulnerable workers. The new program would shore up protections to guarantee the rights of foreign workers.
Since the proposed amendments also contain provisions that do not align with the necessary direction of reform, the Diet should carefully and meticulously examine the blueprint of the proposed revisions.
Of the 3.41 million foreign nationals who lived in Japan as of the end of last year, approximately 400,000 had technical intern trainees status. As such, they accounted for the second largest group of foreign nationals after the roughly 890,000 permanent residents.
However, many foreign nationals who come to Japan under the technical trainee program end up facing a raft of problems. They often incur a significant amount of debt to work in Japan and arrive to find the working conditions at their host companies quite different from what was described in their contracts. The proliferation of problems prompted the Immigration Services Agency to consider abolishing the system.
The new “ikusei shuro” system is also intended for unskilled workers. Those who wish to remain in Japan after three years can transition to Type 1 specified skilled worker status, which enables them to work for up to five more years. Beyond that, they can shift to Type 2 status, which requires higher levels of skills and expertise but allows the holders to work indefinitely and bring their families to Japan.
The government has stressed the new system offers unskilled workers entering Japan a clear mid- to long-term career path and a visible route to potential permanent residency. All foreign workers deserve such treatment in accordance with their human rights.
What is troubling is the retention of the basic placement structure of the technical intern training system, where entities called “kanri dantai” (management organizations) play an intermediate role between host companies and workers.
Some measures have been taken to prevent new intermediary bodies called “kanri shien kikan” (management support agencies) from integrating too closely with the companies, including prohibiting the agencies from using people with close ties with the host companies for tasks related to the firms. However, it is doubtful whether the current system will truly transform into one that respects the rights of foreign workers.
Workers will be allowed to change jobs (employment transfer) if they wish after one to two years depending on the industry they are in. But for workers with little time remaining before their visa expires, finding a new job will be practically impossible.
An expert panel of the Immigration Services Agency had recommended allowing people to switch jobs after one year, but the required period has been prolonged in response to pressure from the Liberal Democratic Party and industry groups. Extending restrictions on job transfers for no good reason is simply unacceptable.
It is perplexing that the bill includes a provision that could revoke the residency status of permanent residents who deliberately fail to pay taxes or social security contributions. This issue has a direct bearing on the rights and lives of long-term residents who have fully blended into Japanese society, yet it was included abruptly without consultation with the expert panel.
In many cases, the foundations for the livelihoods of many permanent residents lie in Japan. Also, a good number were born in Japan and Japanese is their mother tongue.
While everyone, regardless of nationality, is obliged to fulfill their obligations by paying taxes, there can be circumstances where people are unable to pay.
Cases of intentional non-payment of overdue tax by permanent residents should be treated in the same manner as those involving Japanese citizens, namely through established steps, such as making demands followed up by an investigation by the tax authorities, if necessary.
Linking such cases to residency status, which is the foundation of the rights of foreign residents in Japan, is unreasonable and even sends a message denying the concept of coexistence.
--The Asahi Shimbun, May 10
EDITORIAL: Issue of foreign workers rests on key principle of integration
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10.05.2024
The Lower House is deliberating a bill to amend the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law and related legislation to create a new “ikusei shuro” (training and employment) system to accept non-skilled workers from overseas as part of steps to secure a stable source of labor.
The proposed system would replace the technical intern training program, which has come under fierce criticism for exploiting vulnerable workers. The new program would shore up protections to guarantee the rights of foreign workers.
Since the proposed amendments also contain provisions that do not align with the necessary direction of reform, the Diet should carefully and meticulously examine the blueprint of the proposed revisions.
Of the 3.41 million foreign nationals who lived in Japan as of the end of last year, approximately 400,000 had technical intern trainees status. As such, they accounted for the second largest group of foreign nationals after the roughly 890,000 permanent residents.
However, many foreign nationals who come to Japan under the technical trainee program end up facing a raft of problems. They often incur........
© The Asahi Shimbun
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