Japan Is Becoming More Accepting of Immigrants.docx

Japan Is Becoming More Accepting of Immigrants.docx

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JapanIsBecomingMoreAcceptingofImmigrants

JapanIsBecomingMoreAcceptingofImmigrants

Japan,2009

MinoruMatsutani,"RadicalImmigrationPlanunderDiscussion,"TheJapanTimes,June19,2008,p.1-3.Copyright©TheJapanTimes.Allrightsreserved.Reproducedbypermission.

"'Wewillacceptimmigrants,notforeignworkers,andletthemliveinJapanpermanently.'"

MinoruMatsutaniisaresidentofJapanwhowaseducatedintheUnitedStates.Hehaswrittenforavarietyofpublications,includingtheChicagoSun-TimesandBloombergNews,andisastaffwriterforTheJapanTimes,adailyEnglish-languagenewspaper.Thefollowingviewpoint,takenfromanarticlethatappearedinthelatterpublication,discussesaplanthataimstobringtenmillionimmigrantsintoJapanduringthenextfiftyyears,aswellastoincreasethenumberofforeignexchangestudentsandrefugees.TheproposedplanattemptstoaddressananticipatedlaborshortageasJapan'spopulationagesandbirthratesdecline.

Asyouread,considerthefollowingquestions:

%6.AccordingtoMatsutani,howwouldtheproposedplanchangethewayimmigrantstoJapanaretreated?

%6.Howwouldtheproposedimmigrationplanchangecitizenshiplaws,intheauthor'sopinion?

%6.WhataresomefearsaboutincreasingthenumberofimmigrantsinJapan,notedbyMatsutani?

Foreignerswillhaveamuchbetteropportunitytomoveto,orcontinuetolivein,JapanunderanewimmigrationplandraftedbyLiberalDemocraticParty[LDP]lawmakerstoaccept10millionimmigrantsinthenext50years.

"Theplanmeans[thatsomepoliticians]areseriouslythinkingaboutJapan'sfuture,"saidDebitoArudou,whoisoriginallyfromtheUnitedStatesbuthaslivedinJapanfor20yearsandbecameanaturalizedcitizenin2000."Whileitisnosurprisebyglobalstandards,itisasurprisinglybigstepforwardforJapan."

Thegroupofsome80lawmakers,ledbyformerLDPSecretaryGeneralHidenaoNakagawa,finalizedtheplanonJune12[2008]andaimstosubmitittoPrimeMinisterYasuoFukuda....

Theplanis"themosteffectivewaytocounterthelaborshortageJapanisdoomedtofaceamidadecreasingnumberofchildren,"Nakagawasaid.

HelpingImmigrantsSettleIn

Whileestablishinganenvironmenttoencouragewomentocontinuetoworkwhilerearingchildrenisimportanttocountertheexpectedlaborshortage,bringinginforeignworkersisthebestsolutionforimmediateeffect,saidtheplan'smastermind,HidenoriSakanaka,directorgeneraloftheprivatethinktankJapanImmigrationPolicyInstitute.

"Wewilltrainimmigrantsandmakesuretheygetjobsandtheirfamilieshavedecentlives,"Sakanakasaidinexplainingthemajordifferencebetweenthenewplanandcurrentimmigrationpolicy."Wewilltakecareoftheirlives,asopposedtothecurrentpolicy,inwhichwedemandonlyhighlyskilledforeignersoracceptforeignersonlyforafewyearstoengageinsimplelabor."

Japanhad2.08millionforeignresidentsin2006,accountingfor1.6percentofthepopulationof128million.Raisingthetotalto10million,orcloseto10percentofthepopulation,maysoundboldbutisactuallymodestconsideringthatmostEuropeancountries,nottomentiontheU.S.,havealreadyexceededthisproportion,Sakanakasaid.

FukudaoutlinedinapolicyspeechinJanuary[2008]hisaimtoraisethenumberofforeignstudentsto300,000fromthecurrent130,000,butwithoutspecifyingatimetable.

However,theimmigrationplancallsforthegoaltobeachievedsoonandforthegovernmenttoaimfor1millionforeignstudentsby2025.Italsoproposesacceptinganannual1,000asylumseekersandotherpeoplewhoneedprotectionforhumanitarianreasons.

AdvancingHumanRights

AkioNakayama,manageroftheTokyoofficeoftheGeneva-basedInternationalOrganizationforMigration,saidtheimportantthingaboutthenewplanpitchedbytheLDPmembersisthatitwouldguaranteebetterhumanrightsforimmigrants.

"Theplanemphasizesthatwewillacceptimmigrants,notforeignworkers,andletthemliveinJapanpermanently,"Nakayamasaid.

"Themostremarkablepointisthatimmigrants'familymembersareincluded,"hesaid."Ihaveneverseenthisinsimilarproposals."

Also,hepraisedtheplanforproposingchangestotheresidentregistrationlawtoallowchildrenborninJapantoforeignparentstohaveJapanesecitizenship.UnderthecurrentNationalityLaw,oneoftheparentsmustbeJapaneseandtheparentsmustbelegallymarriedfortheirchildrentohaveJapanesecitizenship.

Thisprovision,however,wasrecentlyruledunconstitutionalbytheSupremeCourt,allowing10childrenborntoFilipinomothersandJapanesefathersoutofwedlocktogaintherighttoJapanesenationality.

TheplanalsoincludesestablishinganentitytobecalledtheImmigrationAgencytointegraterelateddutiesthatarenowsharedbymultipleg