“Save foreign children who have no home to return to other than Japan” Over 40,000 signatures requesting special permission to stay, submitted to the Immigration Bureau: Tokyo Shimbun TOKYO Web

On the 20th, the “Immigration Struggle Citizens Coalition”, a group of citizens and organizations supporting foreigners, submitted 40,687 signatures to the Immigration Bureau of Japan requesting that special permission to stay be granted to children who were born and raised in Japan but do not have resident status. (Immigration Agency). The event was held in conjunction with the United Nations’ World Children’s Day (November 20th every year).

Children raised in families of foreign nationals who have been ordered deported due to difficulties in their refugee applications, or foreign nationals who have overstayed their homes, do not have the same status of residence as their parents. They live under severe restrictions, including not having insurance cards and being prohibited from finding employment in the future.

Citizens concerned about their harsh conditions have been collecting signatures on the streets and online throughout the country since May. The Immigration Bureau announced in August that it will grant special status of residence to some children when the revised Immigration Control and Refugee Act goes into effect next summer. However, permission is rarely granted, and there are some lines of demarcation, such as excluding children who came to Japan as children.

Saki Maeda, a student member of the volunteer organization BOND, told an Immigration Agency official, “The children have settled in Japan and have no place to return to other than Japan.They should be granted a status of residence without drawing a line.” I asked for it. (Shinichi Ikeo)