NGOs protest immigration rules
Japanese Non-Governmental Organisations in the refugee and immigrant support fields recently published the following "Statement of objection" to proposed amendments to the Immigration control and Refugee Recognition Law ("Immigration Law")approved by the House of Councillors on April 25" The legislative debate followed a ' rapid increase of Chinese illegally entering Japan since last year. But Justice Ministry seeks not only to strictly penalise brokers and smugglers, but also those who "assist," foreigners who illegally entered Japan (including those who entered with false passports). In other words, under the new law, support activities to undocumented migrants by NGOS and other organisations will also be subject to prosecution. Migrant support groups have also expressed concern over the creation by police of an "Office to Counter Measures Crimes by Foreigners and the "Headquarters of Special Measures Against International Organised Crimes" in Osaka. With these new police offices, the possibility that police will arrest migrant supporters reoccur. Furthermore, the revision will intensify Japanese prejudice against foreigners in general.
Because it is difficult for people from abroad to get permission to work in Japan, many people come and work without a proper visa. These people often face problems such as unpaid wages, hushing-up of accidents on the job, sudden firing, sickness, marriage or divorce, problems getting education for children, forced prostitution, discrimination and loss of human rights, and are unable to speak out against these problems. We, the NGO groups listed below, assist such people in solving human rights problems.
Since the beginning of 1997, a distorted image of ships packed with illegal immigrants landing in Japan with gangsters, has been created by the mass media. Targeting the syndicates and networks that support 24 International Viewpoint #291 such activities, the Ministry of Justice proposed Immigration Law amendments which were passed by cabinet on April 4, and is in the process of being approved by the House of Representatives. However, these proposed amendments may cause the following problems:
1. The new Article No. 74 makes the concealment of illegal immigrants an offence, and provides for punishment under related articles. The staff of NGOs and other organisations that assist such people, their church pastors, their friends and spouses, and the owners of the apartments where the stay, will be guilty of crimes under the immigration law, and liable to fines of up to 3 million yen and up to 5 years in jail. This is likely to lead to severe erosion of the human rights of foreigners in Japan.
2. Additions to Article No. 24. Foreigners with proper visas who offer hospitality to people from their own country, and Japanese spouses of "illegal" foreigners, will be liable to prosecution under the immi-
3. Definition of new crimes.
4. Problems with recognition of refugees. People who come to Japan without proper visas will be liable to fines or forced repatri-
5. Problems with the present laws which have been shelved. In 93~94 there have been several cases of immigration department employees who have violently abused detainees sexually and otherwise. The immigration department has promised to revise laws to protect the human rights of prisoners, but the proposed amendments to the law do not address this issue.
These proposed revisions can be used not only as a tool to pressure foreign migrant support groups, but also to increase Japanese prejudice against ordinary people from overseas. Even at present, there are cases of city and ward offices refusing to register the marriages and children of people from abroad who overstay their visa. These proposed revisions can only worsen this situation.
The number of people from abroad who are treated as coming for the purpose of working, and are refused visas at the point of immigration, has been increasing in the past few years; The number of people who overstay is said to be decreasing, but about 280,000 are overstayed. Justice administrators don't recognise that the increase of number of stowaways and illegal entrants is a result of people being refused visas.
We object to the revisions because they seek to make supporters of refugees and immigrants, human rights groups, ordinary Japanese, and people from abroad, who help migrants accessories to crime. The amendment will cause the situation to deteriorate, so we ask that they be rejected. * Source: Ajikon-Tshushin, May 1997, Aajian Journalists Club Newsletter by MigraNts in aean Shige Yanagihara, Forum on Asian For more information: fmwj@jca.ax.apc.org.jp Forwarded by ALARM, the monitor and co-ordinator of Asian labour actions alerts in behalf of the Asia Monitor Resource Center, Asian Migrant Centre and Committee for Asian Women. Please send you action alerts to: The ALARM Secretariat, 4 Jordan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tel (852) 23120031 Fax: (852) 29920111.24
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