Japan must welcome more immigrants, refugees -Experts

Japan, 27th November: Several experts are urging Japan to expand its highly restrictive immigration policies thereby allowing increased number of skilled immigrants into the nation.

As per the proposal by a renowned global affairs think tank to the Japan government, the nation must have a skill-based immigration program at the earliest and also work for introducing social integration rules in the country if it wants to avoid the tensions witnessed in many parts of Europe concerning immigration.

Japan’s policies have always been unwilling to make way for immigration in the country and had been severely against high levels of immigration. However, it seems to be emerging that if the nation wants to grow its national demand and strengthen its economy, then it should open up for allowing higher levels of immigration.

According to the chairman of the policy council of Japan Forum on International Relations, Kenichi Ito, Canada, the US and Australia happen to be the ideal models of immigration system for Japan. And if Japan needs to survive and surge ahead in the global economy, then it must step forward to allow higher number of immigrants into its economy.

The nation also is skeptical of accepting refugees. The refugee policy of the nation is far behind that of the other nations of the world, maintains a lawyer dealing in the issues of human rights of immigrants and refugees in Japan, Shogo Watanabe, adding that the nation fails to have a consistent immigration policy.

Presently, the limit for accepting refugees in Japan is just 90 people in a period of three years and this is a far cry from the current limit of allowing refugees in the US which happens to be in tens of thousands.

A total of 24 nations are taking part in the program for settlement of refugees and the top three nations accepting higher number of refugees through the UNHCR (UN High Commissioner for Refugees) for the year 2009 are the US with 62,000 refugees, Australia with 6,700 refugees and Canada with around 6,500 refugees.

Out of the total 1,388 foreigners applying for claiming refugee status, only 30 were approved by Japan in the year 2009, the official Justice Ministry data reveals.

Moreover, the long process of screening asylum applicants compels them to live in deplorable conditions as they are not entitled to seek jobs in Japan until a decision is announced by the ministry.