These people are active in various walks of life, and contribute to the development of their countries of birth. They also play a significant role as a link to Japan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to work to actively support their activities. Figures are, therefore, on the increase, and there is every reason to assume that these 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 had decreased to around 276,000 as of January 1998, down 22,000 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 against foreigners in Japan, but also seriously undermines the image of Japan in the countries from which the foreigners come, which impedes 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 1998, Japan simplified visa application forms for some Eastern and Central European countries and Australia.