# Points on 2012 Immigration Control

## Outline of 2012 Immigration Control

☐ This report is composed of Immigration Control in Recent Years (Part 1), Major Policies in FY2011 (Part 2), and following data section.

☐ Part 1 overviews the five-year trends from 2007 to 2011, and describes the circumstances surrounding Japan's immigration control policy in 2011.

☐ Part 2 describes major immigration control policies in FY 2011.

## Part 1 Immigration Control in Recent Years

## ☐ Number of foreign nationals entering Japan in 2011

The number of foreign nationals entering Japan (including those who re-entered Japan with re-entry permit) in 2011 was 7,135,407, down by 2,308,289 (-24.4%) from the previous year, and the number of new foreign nationals excluding those who re-entered was 5,448,019, down by 2,471,707 (-31.2%), which recorded a drastic decrease. This decrease may be due to the Great East Japan Earthquake, the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant on March 11, 2011, and other elements.

## ☐ Number of alien registrations as of the end of the year 2011

The number of alien registrations as of the end of 2011 was 2,078,508, down by 2.6% compared to the end of 2010. However, it has increased by about 1.2 times compared to the end of 2001 of ten years ago and continued to be on the rise in the long term.

The percentage of registered foreign nationals in the total population of Japan is 1.63%, down by a basis point (0.04%) compared to the end of 2010.

## ☐ Number of illegal overstayers

The number of illegally overstaying foreign nationals as of January 1, 2012 was 67,065. This represents a constant decrease from 298,646 on May 1, 1993, when the number stood at the highest record.

## Part 2 Major Policies Related to Immigration Control Administration in FY 2011

## ☐ Efforts by the Immigration Bureau concerning the Great East Japan Earthquake

Due to the Great East Japan Earthquake, foreign nationals subject to notification by the Ministry of Justice, based on Paragraph 2 of Article 3 of the Act on special measures for preservation of rights and interests of victims of specified disasters, are all allowed to postpone the expiration date of the period of stay until August 31, 2011, without taking any particular measures. Further, the Immigration Bureau swiftly admitted the entrance of rescue teams of about 1,100 members from other countries and implemented quick procedures so that foreign nationals wishing to leave Japan due to the earthquake would be permitted to later re-enter Japan as well as follow the procedures to leave Japan. Along with that, the Immigration Bureau also implemented procedures so that international students, trainees and technical interns who returned home in the middle of their studies or training due to the earthquake are able to smoothly re-enter Japan.

To confirm the safety of foreign nationals who might have fallen victim to the earthquake, the Immigration Bureau, based on requests from municipalities and foreign diplomatic offices in Japan, provided information on registered foreign nationals in the devastated area. The Immigration Bureau also referred to inquiries from families and relatives of foreign nationals and Japanese nationals in the devastated area about existence of