National Jul 3, 2020
Tunisian man injured at Osaka immigration center when moved from cell
A Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau detainee's thumb was dislocated when six staff members forcibly moved him to another cell after he initially refused.
National / Social Issues Jul 1, 2020
Japan's immigration authorities resume processing of visa applications
by Magdalena Osumi
The move is expected to speed up entry clearance for foreign nationals with applications stuck in pending.
National Jun 30, 2020
Government panel OKs punishment of non-Japanese who refuse deportation
A government panel of experts on Monday approved a proposal to start handing down punishments for foreigners who ignore deportation orders as a step to resolve the issue of prolonged detentions at immigration facilities. The penalization is a key item in the recommendations approved by ...
National Jun 29, 2020
Japan adds Cuba and 17 other nations to entry ban list amid pandemic
by Magdalena Osumi
The strict entry rules have been met with strong criticism from the expatriate community and foreign business lobby groups.
National / Social Issues Jun 19, 2020
Japan's re-entry ban threatens scholarships, admission and graduation for foreign students
by Magdalena Osumi
Many students from developing countries heavily depend on financial aid, and it is often the only way they can pursue higher education.
National Jun 4, 2020
Japan softens re-entry ban that left foreign residents stranded
by Magdalena Osumi
The government says it has softened its stance on humanitarian grounds and will now allow foreign residents to re-enter the country regardless of their visa status.
National May 30, 2020
Japan's new labor visas fall far short of goal for first year
The government's projections were too optimistic, and the economic damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic isn't helping either.
National / Social Issues May 19, 2020
Foreign residents stranded abroad by Japan's coronavirus controls
by Magdalena Osumi
Japan is the only Group of Seven member denying entry to long-term and permanent residents, and has set no clear criteria for their return.
National May 12, 2020
Those with Japan visas expiring in July get extra three months to renew
The Immigration Services Agency of Japan said Tuesday it will give foreign nationals with periods of stay expiring in July a three-month extension to renew, in a bid to alleviate congestion at immigration counters amid the coronavirus outbreak. The agency had earlier granted a three-month ...
Issues | THE FOREIGN ELEMENT May 4, 2020
'If the virus gets in, it will spread like wildfire'
by Rosa Barbaran and David H. Slater
While authorities mull "provisional release" for some refugees currently in detention centers across the country, the people on the inside say they receive little information on the novel coronavirus.
National May 1, 2020
Japan to release immigration detainees as centers fear virus outbreaks
Immigration Services Agency plans to let detainees leave for treatment and other reasons in a bid to keep the coronavirus out of its detention centers.
Business Apr 24, 2020
Foreign workers and students vulnerable as virus-hit Japan firms ax staff
Immediately after all Chinese group tours through this summer were canceled at the end of January and February following the coronavirus outbreak, a Chinese man in his 20s who had worked as a full-time employee at a hotel near Kansai International Airport lost his ...