advanced analysis, and through the regional immigration offices at the airports and other places utilizing the results of the analysis, stricter border measures are being implemented.

## ○ Measures Against Illegal and Imposter Foreign residents in Japan, etc

The number of foreign nationals overstaying their authorized period of stay had been steadily decreasing since 1993 owing to past measures that had been taken, but this trend saw an increase in 2015 for the first time in 22 years, and since it is estimated that there were about 65,000 foreign nationals overstaying their authorized period of stay in Japan as of January 1, 2017, which was an increase for third years running. Therefore, efforts are being made to reduce the increasing number of illegal foreign residents through strengthened crackdowns, reinforced collection and analysis of information on illegal foreign residents, and the promotion of voluntary appearances.

• “Imposter residents” are foreign nationals residing in Japan having illegally received entry or residence permission as though they came 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. Therefore, the Immigration Bureau is striving to strengthen the detection of imposter foreign residents and to reinforce the collection and analysis of information. In addition, in January 2017, the Act for Partial Amendment of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, incorporating measures such as penalties for persons who received permission for landing etc. through fraud or other illegal means and expansion of the grounds for revocation of the status of residence, entered into effect.

• Based on an agreement with the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA) concluded in September 2010, the Immigration Bureau and the JFBA have arranged for legal consultations, etc. be provided by attorneys to the detainees.

• When a detainee is issued with a deportation order, but there are no prospects for a deportation owing to circumstances preventing the deportation such as the fact that a detainee suffering from a disease or the institution of litigation, the Immigration Bureau actively utilizes provisional release, and makes efforts to ensure the implementation of more suitable deportation procedures.

• In response to the opinions given by the “Immigration Detention Facilities Visiting Committee”, the Immigration Bureau has continued to strive for greater transparency in security treatment and has endeavored to improve and enhance the operation of the immigration detention centers, etc.

## ☐ Promotion of Appropriate and Prompt Refugee Protection

• Based on the purport of the recommendations in the reports submitted in December 2014 by the “Sixth Immigration Policy Discussion Panel”, which is the private consultative group for the Minister of Justice, and the “Expert Meeting on the Refugee Recognition System”, the findings of the “Summary of the Revision of the Operation of the Refugee Recognition System” were compiled on September 2015 for the purpose of (i) clarifying the persons eligible for protection, the decisions on recognition and the procedures, (ii) strengthening the system and infrastructure pertaining to refugee recognition administration, and (iii) appropriate handling of applications attempting to abuse or misuse the refugee recognition system, and measures to put such findings into practice are being implemented.

• As a pilot case for the acceptance of refugees through the third country settlement program,