The government has decided to limit work permits for asylum seekers from 2018 on the back of a sharp rise in the number of applicants who are believed to be feigning a need for protection in order to find jobs, sources close to the matter said Wednesday.
The current system, introduced in 2010, grants work permits to all asylum seekers six months after they file for refugee status. Under the change, the Justice Ministry will allow only people to work if they are deemed to have a high likelihood of being recognized as refugees, the sources said.
Applicants clearly expected to be denied refugee status — such as those fleeing debts — will be denied the right to work in Japan and deported to their country of origin after the valid period of their stay expires, the sources said.