Japanese immigrants are active in various walks of life, including politics, administration, economics, academia and culture and are valued highly for the active contribution they make to the economic and social development of the countries in which they live. These Japanese immigrants also play an important role in promoting mutual understanding and friendly relations between the country of their residence and Japan. The Ministry makes positive efforts to support the activities of these Japanese immigrants. Figures are, therefore, on the increase, and there is every reason to assume that these figures will continue to grow steadily as Japan continues its internationalization process. While the number of foreigners who had overstayed their permitted period of stay in Japan and were living here illegally decreased to around 271,000 as of January 1999, down 27,000 from the peak in May 1993, this figure is still large.
Many foreigners staying in Japan illegally tend to become involved in crime.
The situation not only creates prejudice among some parts of the population against foreigners in Japan, but also seriously undermines the image of Japan in the countries from which the foreigners come, impeding sound international exchanges. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs seeks as far as possible to prevent people from entering the country for the purpose of illegal work. At the same time, from the viewpoint of promoting interchanges with people from different countries, and as part of a general move toward deregulation, the Japanese Government is promoting simplification and acceleration of visa-issuing procedures. In 1999, Japan simplified visa application procedures, including visa exemption arrangements, for some Eastern and Central European countries.