Japan's Immigration Policy 2015-2020: Implications for Human Security of Immigrant Workers and Refugees

• Takizawa Saburo

  Institute for Asia Human Community (AHC), Organization for Regional and Inter-regional Studies, Waseda University

Abstract

In the past five years, Japan's immigration policy has undergone major changes. The government decided to open gates to hundreds of thousands of foreign workers, and refugee policies are being upgraded through the reform of the refugee status determination (RSD) process. This essay attempts to describe these changes, and explain the reasons thereof, by focusing on the 7^th Advisory Council on the Immigration Control Polices (AC, 2015-2021) and the Immigration Services Agency (ISA). In doing so, this essay adapts Hollifield's four-driver model and argues that Japan's immigration policies have been formulated by balancing four drivers: (1) the economic driver, or the industry demand for foreign workers; (2) the social driver, or popular desire to maintain a safe and homogenous society; (3) the security driver, or the state's wish to maintain law and order; and (4) the rights driver, or attempts to protect the human security of foreign workers and refugees. This essay points out that the economic factor was the main driver of the change; the government provided “comprehensive measures” to address social concerns and enhanced security measures to sooth security concerns, while the rights driver has been overwhelmed by other. Finally, the essay argues that the opening of Japan to foreign workers and the reform of the RSD will enable Japan to accept more refugees, and that comprehensive measures would enhance the empowerment of foreign workers and refugees in Japan.

Journal

• Journal of Human Security Studies

  Journal of Human Security Studies 10 (2), 51-78, 2021

  Japan Association for Human Security Studies

Keywords

• refugees
• foreign workers
• immigration control
• status of residence
• Immigration Services Agency

Details

• CRID: 1390009371653955072
• NII Article ID: 130008143770
• DOI: 10.34517/jahss.10.2_51
• ISSN: 24321427
• Text Lang: en
• Data Source:
  • JaLC
  • CiNii Articles
  • KAKEN
• Abstract License Flag: Disallowed