## ○ Measures against illegal and imposter foreign residents in Japan

- The number of foreign nationals staying illegally beyond their authorized period of stay had been steadily decreasing since 1993 owing to past measures that were being taken, but this trend is seeing an increase for the first time in 22 years, and it is estimated that there are still some 60,000 illegal foreign residents (as of January 1, 2015) in Japan, and therefore efforts to further reduce the number of foreign nationals illegally staying beyond their authorized period of stay are being promoted through strengthened detection, reinforced collection and analysis of information on illegal foreign residents, and the promotion of voluntary appearances.

• “Imposter residents” are foreign nationals who are residing in Japan having illegally received entry or residence permission as though they come under one of the statuses of residence having disguised their identity or activities such as by using forged or altered documents or false documents under the cover of a fake marriage, fake studies or fake employment, etc., or they may not necessarily have concealed the purpose of their activities from the onset but are currently engaged in illegal work which is far removed from their status of residence. The presence of imposter residents in Japan who illegally use a status of residence cannot be overlooked, and therefore, the Immigration Bureau is striving to strengthen the detection of imposter residents and to reinforce the collection and analysis of information.

- Based on an agreement concluded between the Immigration Bureau and the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA) in September 2010, the Immigration Bureau and the JFBA are to discuss methods of improving the situation of problems related to detention in immigration control. In addition, the Immigration Bureau and the JFBA have arranged for legal consultations, etc. to be provided by attorneys to the detainees.

- With regard to detainees who have been detained for a considerable period of time following the issuance of a written deportation order, the Immigration Bureau will continue to check and examine the necessity for and suitability of provisional release for such detainees at regular intervals, and will flexibly utilize provisional release while taking individual situations into account so as to implement further appropriate deportation procedures.

- In July 2010, the Immigration Bureau established the Immigration Detention Facilities Visiting Committee consisting of experts from outside the Immigration Bureau, and the Immigration Bureau will continue to make efforts to ensure further transparency in security measures, and to improve and enhance the operations of the immigration detention centers, etc., while taking the Committee’s views into consideration.

## ☐ Promotion of appropriate and prompt refugee protection

- In order to quickly stabilize the legal status of foreign nationals who are to be recognized as refugees, the Immigration Bureau set six months as the standard processing time for the examination of refugee applications, and announces on a quarterly basis the average processing (examination) time for refugee applications on the Ministry of Justice website.

- A program to accept and support the resettlement of Myanmarese refugees who were staying in a refugee camp in Thailand was launched in FY 2010 as a pilot project for the acceptance of refugees desiring resettlement. The first group consisting of 27 refugees from five families came to Japan in FY 2010, 18 refugees from four families came to Japan in FY 2011, 18 refugees from four families came to Japan in FY 2013, and 23 refugees from five families came to Japan in FY 2014 (Although 16 refugees from three families were to enter Japan in FY2012, each of them declined the offer of acceptance prior to entry into Japan.).

- Based on the results of the Advisory Council on Resettlement held under the auspices of the Liaison and Coordination Council for Refugee Issues from March 2012 to December 2013, Japan’s future policy on resettlement was approved by the Cabinet on January 24, 2014, and in accordance with the contents of this Cabinet Agreement and the “Specific Measures for the Admission of Refugees through Resettlement” (decision of the Liaison and Coordination Council for Refugee Issues of January 24, 2014), Myanmarese refugees who are staying temporarily in Malaysia are to be eligible for acceptance from FY 2015 onwards.