A 12-year-old girl whose parents are both from Africa dreams of becoming a doctor in the future
The “Painting and Composition Exhibition by Provisional Released Children” will be held in Tokyo from the 18th, in which children who were born and raised in Japan but do not have resident status will express their feelings through paintings and compositions. The theme is “My Dream”. Children without resident status are in dire straits, with no idea if they will be able to find employment in the future. 17 paintings and 4 essays were submitted (as of the 13th). The exhibition aims to spread awareness of their plight through the works. (Shinichi Ikeo)
◆Unable to enroll in health insurance and prohibited from working part-time
“I’m in a difficult situation because I can’t do the things I take for granted. My presence is disappearing from Japan.” A first-year high school girl from the Middle East wrote this in her essay.
Children born and raised by foreigners who have had their refugee applications rejected and been ordered to leave but have repeatedly applied for fear of persecution, or foreigners who came to Japan to work and ended up overstaying. Like his parents, he has no resident status. They are unable to purchase health insurance and live under restrictions that prohibit them from working part-time or finding employment in the future.
A child’s work that says, “I want to do Bengosho to help everyone.First, I will help my father and mother.”
The Immigration Services Agency plans to grant special residence permits to approximately 140 Japanese-born children and their parents before the revised Immigration and Refugee Act goes into effect next summer. However, more than three months after the policy announcement, very few permits have yet been issued. There are also boundaries, such as those whose parents are in the country illegally, who will not be allowed to enter the country. The children are suffering from great anxiety about their future, and their work expresses their longing for immigration status.
A 6-year-old girl born in Japan, whose parents both come from conflict-affected areas in Africa and whose family is applying for refugee status, drew a picture of her future self wearing a white coat and becoming a doctor. However, in her essay, she expressed her feelings, saying, “Right now, neither of my parents are working, so I’m worried about the future.I want to go to high school or university, but the chances are very low.”
There was also a child who drew himself as a lawyer with a golden badge on his chest. “I want to do my best to help everyone. First, I want to help my father and mother.” The film depicts the situation of families suffering from difficulties in applying for asylum.
A work by a middle school girl whose parents are from the Middle East.I want to become a hairdresser (hairdresser) in the future
She also dreamed of becoming a dentist, becoming a hairdresser, and running an ice cream shop.
◆”I’m sure you’ll lend me your strength.”
The painting and composition exhibition was held by lawyers who are knowledgeable about immigration issues and the volunteer group BOND, and the first time was in 2020, and this is the third time. Lawyer Tomokai Komai said, “I thought it was cruel to ask children who live in difficult circumstances to submit works on the theme of “my dreams,” but Japanese citizens who saw the works realized that their dreams were true. I prayed that God would lend me strength to make this come true.”
The venue is the Bunkyo Ward Otsuka Community Activity Center. From the 18th to the 20th (3pm to 6pm on the 18th, 10am to 6pm on the 19th, and 11:30am to 6pm on the 20th). On the 20th, from 10 a.m., there will be a jury award ceremony and commentary, with judges including Naoki Prize-winning author Kyoko Nakajima, who wrote the original novel for the NHK drama “Yasashii Neko,” whose theme is immigration issues, and philosopher Jun Nagano. be.
Children without residence statusAs of the end of 2022, there will be 295 foreign children under the age of 18 who have been ordered to leave. Although they are allowed to go to school, they live under severe restrictions, such as being prohibited from moving across prefectures and being prohibited from working. In August of this year, the Immigration Bureau announced a policy to grant special residence status to approximately 140 children and their guardians, excluding children who were not born in Japan or whose parents entered the country illegally or were sentenced to more than one year in prison. It was announced on . However, there are persistent calls from supporters and experts to expand the scope of eligibility for residence status from the perspective of respecting the “best interests of the child.”
2023-11-17 07:00:00
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