Justice Minister Hideo Usui granted special residence permission Wednesday to two Iranian families totaling nine members, who are part of a 21-member group of foreigners who overstayed their visas and appealed for residency in September. Wednesday's decision followed the first occasion on which the minister granted such status to foreigners who overstayed visas and do not have Japanese relatives -- granted to another Iranian family with three members -- a week earlier. The status, considered to be the last resort for foreigners with expired visas who are not eligible for any other kind of visas, has previously been issued solely to such foreigners with Japanese relatives. Lawyers supporting the families said the move confirms an easing of the ministry's policy on issuing the residency permission, which now takes the applicants' family circumstances into account. The ministry reportedly took into account the fact that the two families have children enrolled in schools here and may face difficulties in their home countries because of language. The two families have a total of four daughters, between the ages of 5 and 15. Usui, however, rejected similar applications by two men, one Iranian and one Bangladeshi, who belonged to the group. They had claimed they need to stay to receive treatment for injuries suffered at workplaces in Japan. The two, who were summoned to the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau, were released on a provisional basis to receive treatments, the lawyers said. The Justice Ministry's Immigration Bureau declined to comment on its decision Wednesday. Meanwhile, the lawyers supporting the group filed an administrative lawsuit the same day with the Tokyo District Court, demanding the reversal of the ministry's earlier rejection of a similar application by a Myanmarese family. The ministry reportedly ruled that the family has no reason to stay here because their 2-year-old daughter is young enough to adapt to a new environment in her home country. The father is still being detained at the immigration bureau's facility in Tokyo's Kita Ward. Among the 21 foreigners, another decision is still pending on an Iranian family of four members.
