ALSA 2025 meeting

Is Japanese society open to foreigners? Like many other countries, Japan is experiencing a rapid decline in the birthrate and an aging population, and the Japanese government is actively trying to accept foreign workers. However, various legal barriers make this difficult. The 2023 amendment to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act will make the already difficult process of refugee recognition even more difficult, and there has been a noticeable delay in measures against "illegal employment." In particular, human rights violations in detention facilities run by the Immigration Services Agency are well known, and the problem of "provisional release," which prohibits people from working, is also serious.

What is the background behind Japan's policy of this kind? Also, will these problems be overcome? In this report, I would like to examine some concrete examples and shed light on the structure of Japanese society that is so harsh on foreigners, particularly from the perspective of the legal system.