Key Facts
• July 28, LDP’s Akihisa Shiozaki addressed criticism of the ‘Zero Illegal Stay Plan’.
• Plan aims to halve 3,000 ‘deportation evaders’ within 5.5 years.
• Approximately 70,000 illegal residents in Japan; 12,000 refugee applications in 2024.
• Refugee application processing (8,400 cases) lags behind submissions.
• Shiozaki emphasized accurate, calm policy discussions over emotional narratives.
• Plan includes strict deportation for repeat refugee applicants and serious offenders.
• Japan Federation of Bar Associations’ Reiko Fuchigami expressed human rights concerns.
• Shiozaki stressed coexistence and rule-based residency management.
• Goal: Streamline refugee reviews and prioritize genuine cases.
• Plan aims to ensure safety for all residents, including foreigners.
Summary
The ‘Zero Illegal Stay Plan,’ introduced in May, seeks to address Japan’s illegal residency issue by halving the number of deportation evaders within five and a half years. LDP lawmaker Akihisa Shiozaki defended the plan against criticism from Reiko Fuchigami, head of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, who raised concerns about potential human rights violations. Shiozaki emphasized that the plan aims to foster a society where all residents, including foreigners, can coexist safely by enforcing strict residency rules and expediting refugee application processes. The plan targets repeat refugee applicants and serious offenders for deportation, aiming to prioritize genuine refugee cases. Shiozaki called for calm, fact-based policy discussions to counter emotional narratives.
