More than 60 NGOs called upon the Japanese government to reject the revised bill of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, which will tighten control over foreign residents in Japan.
According to their joint statement issued on 24 January 2009, if the bill were pressed forward, foreign residents without visa are likely to be excluded from the new registration system, losing access to public services like education and medical care. The Japanese diet is expected to discuss about the issue during its ordinary session, started in January.
The statement notes that the bill is against the UN treaties that Japan ratified, such as the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. It further urges the government to legislate for human rights of all the foreign residents in the country.
To read the statement, please click here (.pdf, Japanese only).