Two opposition parties will join discussions with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in revising a controversial bill to curb long-term detentions of illegal overstayers at immigration facilities, paving the way for it to clear parliament by the end of its session in June.
On Friday, the Democratic Party for the People said it will participate in the talks, a day after Nippon Ishin no Kai said it will start discussions with the LDP on making revisions to the government-sponsored bill, which is currently being deliberated in a Lower House committee. Nobuyuki Fukushima, a member of a parliamentary group called Yushi no Kai, also said he will join the discussions.
Nippon Ishin is proposing training immigration officials on how to screen asylum-seekers, in addition to obliging authorities into considering the physical and mental conditions of detainees during interviews.