It has come to light that immigration authorities within the Ministry of Justice have called for Japanese language schools, which had more than 10 or more students expelled or dropped out during 2015, to adopt stricter entrance admission policies for their students. The proposal is aimed specifically at international students coming from five different countries, including China. The hope is that such moves will prevent students moving into illegal employment. But the proposals have drawn criticism, as it has been noted that many students leave their language schools for honest reasons, such as illness, or because they have been accepted into university. Language schools were also concerned that the plans made too many sweeping generalizations.
The other countries targeted in this initiative include Vietnam, Nepal, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka. An official from the Ministry stated, “There are a lot of international students from these five countries, and the number of these students who are illegally staying in Japan is increasing.” The individual also spoke about the impact of this trend on illegal employment. But doubts have been cast about who the proposal is aimed at, as statistics from January 2016 suggest that out of the five targeted, only China and Vietnam are ranked in the top ten common countries and regions where illegal residents in Japan come from.
Until now, immigration authorities have asked for students to submit information (such as a bank statement) from a financial institution in their home country that proves that they have access to sufficient funds or can receive support during their time in Japan. But under new proposals, students will be required to submit more detailed information about their accounts, such as statements that reveal specifics about how much has been deposited and withdrawn from the account in question.
However, it tends to be only the wealthy who can receive what is classified as a satisfactory remittance from their home country, and in reality there are many international students who work more than 28-hour weekly limit in order to cover their tuition fees and living expenses. There is also an issue that financial institutions and asset management are not always transparent in some developing countries. An individual connected to a language school commented that students from Vietnam and Myanmar often have difficulties preparing the documents that they are asked to submit. It appears that there is already a sense of confusion surrounding the issue.
The limit of 10 students has also caused a certain degree of bewilderment with those concerned, with some school officials viewing the number as arbitrary and questioning why a school should be penalized when their students advance in their studies (to other educational institutions), or when they drop out due to legitimate health concerns.
The Immigration Bureau explained their strict stance, stating that there is indeed no specific basis for the figure of 10, but rather a measure that applies to more than half of Japanese language schools. Officials added that the policy is not meant to serve as a penalty.
Original article from Nishinippon Shimbun (2/27/2017).
New Era of Immigration in Kyushu
The number of workers from abroad, including international students and technical interns in Japan, exceeded one million for the first time last year. This group of people form an indispensable component of the workforce, irrespective of the government’s position on immigration. Read more installments from this series here.
