transfers overseas though the development of transparent and appropriate programs that will benefit both the countries which are dispatching the foreign trainees and technical interns and the receiving country, Japan will also be included.

## (6) Measures for Foreign Nationals Staying in Japan for a Long Time

Unlike foreign nationals staying in Japan for temporary sightseeing purposes, those who stay in Japan for a long time are residents who have ties to the regional community. The measures for those foreign residents have become more significant as their number has increased. The conditions of permission for “Permanent Resident” will be further specified and clarified for those foreign residents who wish to stay in Japan permanently.

From the point of view of developing an environment where foreign nationals can live comfortably, it is indispensable to link together measures in various areas including labor, education and welfare to appropriately address living condition problems seen in regions where many foreign nationals reside. Therefore, relevant national measures should be considered in coordination with local government measures. Since it is important for foreign nationals to have Japanese language skills when engaging in various activities in Japan, cooperation with government agencies in charge of Japanese language education and promotion measures for foreign nationals in Japan and foreign countries will be reinforced, and the immigration control administration will also play a major role including consideration of how to accept foreign nationals. In order to make it easier for foreign nationals to live in Japan, for example, foreign medical doctors may be allowed to provide medical services in foreign languages. Such a measure will help Japan become a country where foreign nationals can live comfortably.

While a wide range of organizations are involved in helping foreign nationals stay in Japan, foreign nationals who do not have much knowledge of the Japanese language or of Japan’s administrative structure may lack knowledge on contacts for consultations on administrative services. In this respect, possible measures to support the livelihood of foreign nationals will be considered. Such measures may be to expand the website functions of immigration control services and to cooperate with relevant administrative agencies and private-sector organizations supporting foreign nationals, including participation in efforts to build cooperation arrangements for regional information exchange and services. Immigration information centers in each regional administration bureau may also accept inquiries from foreign nationals on other administrative services and introduce relevant administrative agencies to them.

### 2. Measures for Recovering Japan’s Public Security through Promotion of Tough Border Measures and Substantial Reduction of Illegal Foreign Residents

The number of illegal foreign residents in Japan is now estimated at some 240,000. Over recent years, foreign nationals' crimes in Japan have become more serious. Brutal crimes including break-in robberies have increased and some foreign nationals have collaborated with crime syndicates in committing crimes. It has been pointed out that the presence of illegal foreign residents has become a hotbed for crimes committed by foreign nationals.

In order to address such a situation, the Ministerial Meeting against Crimes formulated an “Action Plan for the Realization of a Society Resistant to Crime” in December 2003. According to this action plan, the government will aim at reducing the number of illegal foreign residents by half in the next five years to ensure public security. It also indicates that it is necessary to eliminate unreasonable suspicion toward the many foreign nationals who are staying in Japan peacefully and legally.

In order to openly accept foreign nationals who are needed in Japan, the immigration control administration should develop an environment where foreign nationals are easily accepted, by reducing the number of illegal foreign residents who influence Japanese society to resist acceptance of all foreign nationals. Strong measures to halve the number of illegal foreign residents will be promoted in