# Points on "2009 Immigration Control"

## Organization of “2009 Immigration Control”

This booklet is organized into immigration control in recent years (Part 1), primary measures (Part 2), and a data section.

☐ Part 1 overviews the developments during the five years from 2004 until 2008, and describes the situation in 2008.

☐ Part 2 describes primary measures in FY 2008.

## Part 1 Immigration Control in Recent Years

☐ The Number of Alien Registrations as of the End of the Year 2008 Stands at a Record High.

The number of alien registrations as of the end of 2008 was 2,217,426, representing a 3.0% increase, which continues to be a record high every year as foreigners living in Japan on a mid- or long-term basis increase.

The percentage of foreigners in the total population of Japan is 1.74%, which is another record high.

☐ The Number of Overstayers is Decreasing.

The number of overstayers as of January 1, 2009 was 113,072, representing a 24.5% decrease as compared to the previous year, by virtue of comprehensive measures against illegal residents such as strict entry examination and detection of foreigners violating the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (the "Immigration Control Act") in close coordination with concerned agencies. This represents a constant decrease from 298,646 in May 1, 1993, when the number stood at a record high.

## ☐ Promotion of Measures against Trafficking in Persons

In December 2004, the “Action Plan for Measures against Trafficking in Persons” was established in an attempt to take general and comprehensive measures against trafficking in persons. The Immigration Bureau implemented a project for the protection, etc., of victims of trafficking in persons by coordinating with concerned agencies in line with said plan. As a result, the number of victims of trafficking in persons who were protected (with special permission of residence) or who were assisted to return to their home country by the Bureau in 2008, was 28 (all of whom were female), which represented a decrease (30.0% decrease) as compared to 40 persons in the previous year.

## Part 2 Primary Measures Related to Immigration Control Administration in FY 2008

## ☐ Outline of the New System of Residence Management

The Immigration Bureau submitted a bill to the No. 171 Diet amending a part of the Immigration Control Act and other legislature that drastically reviews the existing residence management system including the alien registration system, that amends the current system for collecting information by the Immigration Control Act and the Alien Registration Act, and that creates a system enabling the Minister of Justice to collect information, which is necessary for managing, accurately and continuously, the residence situation of foreigners lawfully residing in Japan on a mid- or long-term basis (the said bill was approved and enacted on July 8, 2009, and promulgated on July 15 of the said year).

The new system is expected to facilitate the following processes for foreign nationals residing in Japan for a medium to long term: (1) Issuance of a residence card after obtaining some permits, such as landing permission, permission for extension of period of stay, and permission for changes of status of residence; (2) Report of changes during the period of stay from foreign nationals to the Minister of Justice; (3) Provision of information about foreign nationals from organizations at which they study or receive training to the Minister of Justice. This will enable the Minister of Justice to more precisely and continuously keep monitor the information related to the residence conditions of foreign nationals.

• Information about the situation of foreign nationals residing for the medium to long term, which will be precisely kept under the system, will be reflected in the Basic Residents' Register for Foreign Nationals in which will be newly established in accordance with the Act for Partial Amendment of the Basic Residents' Registration Act. As a result, these foreign nationals will be able to receive enhanced administrative services. Along with the introduction of the system to keep precise information, provisions to enhance convenience for these foreign nationals, including extension of the maximum period of stay and alleviation of the re-entry permit system, will be established.

## ○ Measures on the Training and Technical Internship Programs

For the purpose of strengthening protection for trainees and technical interns, the Immigration Control Act, as amended, established the status of residence of “Technical Intern Training” and others.

• Under the provisions of the ministerial ordinance of the Ministry of Justice, the Immigration Bureau may identify a “misconduct” with regard to organizations that have acted inappropriately regarding training and technical internship and suspend such organizations from accepting trainees and technical interns for three years. The number of organizations that were recognized to engage in “misconduct” during the year 2008 was 452, which stands at a record high.

## ○ Measures on Acceptance of Foreign College Students and Pre-college Students

In July 2008, the gist of the "300,000 Foreign Students Plan", which aimed to accept 300,000 foreign students for studying in Japan by the year 2020, was developed by concerned ministries headed by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The Discussion Meeting on Immigration Control Policy submitted a report entitled "Proposal on Acceptance of College Students and Pre-college Students", relating to the ideal immigration control administration for realizing the "300,000