The Justice Ministry announced on Friday a set of new measures to toughen its refugee screening processes as it attempts to crack down on what it sees as a flood of unskilled laborers in Asia who abuse the system to land jobs in Japan.
All applicants with a valid visa status are given a work permit six months after applying, followed by a lengthy screening process to be recognized as refugees. Until the final judgment, applicants are allowed to work in Japan.
The ministry said it will abolish the work permit starting Monday, claiming it has been abused by numerous immigrant workers whose real goal is to work in Japan for longer periods.