June 15, 2024
Two adverse bills related to foreigners living and working in Japan were approved and enacted with majority votes at the House of Councilors plenary session on June 14.
The Japanese Communist Party voted against both bills on the grounds that they would trample on the human rights of non-Japanese residents and foreign trainees.
In the discussion prior to the vote, JCP Upper House member Nihi Sohei pointed out that the revised Immigration Control Act will allow the revocation of the permanent resident status of foreign residents for minor infractions, including accidentally failing to pay taxes and social insurance premiums. He criticized this measure for discriminating against foreign residents in Japan as they will be forced to live in constant anxiety that their stable livelihoods may be deprived.
Regarding the revised Technical Intern Training Act aimed at replacing the existing foreign trainee program with a new training program, Nihi noted that under the current program, which has been criticized as the hotbed of human rights violations, the number of missing foreign trainees reached 40,000 in the last five years alone. He said that the government left the matter untouched and proposed a shift to a new program, which indicates the government’s unwillingness to protect foreign interns’ human rights.
Nihi pointed out that like the current system, the new training program restricts foreign interns’ right to change workplaces. In addition, he pointed out that the new system allows the use of foreign trainees as agency-dispatched workers. He said that under the new training system, it is highly likely that foreign trainees not only will experience human rights abuse but also will be exploited as cheap labor.
Past related articles:
> JCP Miyamoto: Stop restricting job changes by foreign trainees [ May 11, 2024]
> Motomura opposes revocation of permanent resident status of foreign residents who accidentally fail to pay taxes [April 17, 2024]
The Japanese Communist Party voted against both bills on the grounds that they would trample on the human rights of non-Japanese residents and foreign trainees.
In the discussion prior to the vote, JCP Upper House member Nihi Sohei pointed out that the revised Immigration Control Act will allow the revocation of the permanent resident status of foreign residents for minor infractions, including accidentally failing to pay taxes and social insurance premiums. He criticized this measure for discriminating against foreign residents in Japan as they will be forced to live in constant anxiety that their stable livelihoods may be deprived.
Regarding the revised Technical Intern Training Act aimed at replacing the existing foreign trainee program with a new training program, Nihi noted that under the current program, which has been criticized as the hotbed of human rights violations, the number of missing foreign trainees reached 40,000 in the last five years alone. He said that the government left the matter untouched and proposed a shift to a new program, which indicates the government’s unwillingness to protect foreign interns’ human rights.
Nihi pointed out that like the current system, the new training program restricts foreign interns’ right to change workplaces. In addition, he pointed out that the new system allows the use of foreign trainees as agency-dispatched workers. He said that under the new training system, it is highly likely that foreign trainees not only will experience human rights abuse but also will be exploited as cheap labor.
Past related articles:
> JCP Miyamoto: Stop restricting job changes by foreign trainees [ May 11, 2024]
> Motomura opposes revocation of permanent resident status of foreign residents who accidentally fail to pay taxes [April 17, 2024]
