A new courtesy system for foreign workers marks a major change for Japan, but challenges are not lacking

The envisaged creation of a new visa program to accept foreign workers could help alleviate Japan's labor problems, which are expected to worsen in the coming years as the population ages.

But for a country known for firmly mastering immigration, the challenges of opening its labor market are manifold. Problems ranging from social security to the provision of educational and medical services are problems to be solved.

This program, which represents a significant shift from Japan's traditional policy of accepting highly qualified professionals in principle, comes in response to growing calls from the government to correct the situation of businesses and industries. faced with an acute shortage of labor.

Although the new system, which still requires the approval of the Diet, allows foreign nationals to work in limited areas facing serious shortages of manpower, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says that He would not announce a total opening of the country to immigrants.

However, labor and immigration experts believe that the foreign labor force should not simply be treated as a miracle solution, calling for a fundamental and longer-term approach to encouraging people to work. different nationalities to integrate into society.

"To accept foreign workers (in new fields), Japan must take on the heavy responsibility of making the social system accommodating. This may require changes to his system along the way, "said Eriko Suzuki, a professor at Tokyo's Kokushikan University, who is familiar with immigration policies.

"Japan has always maintained its position of refusing blue-collar workers, but people from different countries are already in Japan through various channels, such as the government-sponsored technical training program," said Suzuki. "So, officially accepting them as" workers "is an important step."

According to government figures, the number of foreign nationals rose to about 2.5 million in January, an increase of 174,000 from the previous year. Japan's total population, including foreign residents, decreased by about 200,000 from the previous year to about 128 million, mainly due to aging.

The labor market remains tense, with record job availability in four decades, while the world's third-largest economy is growing modestly.

The government on Friday approved legislation to create new types of visas for foreign nationals who are fluent in Japanese who want to work in Japan, with the aim of launching them in April.

The first type, valid for up to five years, would be awarded to those with sufficient knowledge and experience in a specific field. They could not bring their family members to Japan.

The second type would be for people with a high level of professional competence and knowledge of Japanese, with no renewal limit. Those applying for this visa category would be allowed to bring in family members and could actually stay in the country permanently.

The government should select 14 sectors that are in urgent need of manpower, such as construction, agriculture, elder care and airport services, and no ceiling is currently in place provided for the number of foreign workers accepted in the country.

But the details of the targeted sectors are still unclear, and we still do not know how the government will confirm that labor shortages have been resolved, a criterion that would allow public servants to suspend the acceptance of the foreign labor force.

To welcome newcomers, improving social security is considered a priority. Even at the present time, residents of Japan, regardless of their nationality, must be enrolled in the national pension and health insurance systems.

Some people, however, called for measures against possible abuse of the systems as a result of the discovery of cases in which foreign nationals who do not reside in Japan had health coverage as dependents of members of the family. their family living in the country.

Concerned about the impact of the proposed visa system on these social security systems, some legislators of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party are now urging the government to ensure that new workers also fulfill their obligations, such as the payment of taxes and health insurance premiums.

According to experts, the number of social security agreements between Japan and other countries – which allow workers to benefit from retirement benefits at home even if they reside abroad for a while – must increase.

Takuya Hoshino, an economist at the Daiichi Life Research Institute, said it was essential to improve the social security of foreign workers.

"We can not be complacent because people come to Japan to find a job, because such a situation will not last forever," said Hoshino. He pointed out that other countries could become more attractive to foreign workers or the economic growth of their own countries, which would improve the labor market and discourage them from going abroad.

Nevertheless, Japan's regional economies can benefit from the proposed program because labor shortages are more severe than in large cities, Hoshino said.

The airline industry, whose airport services should be among the 14 sectors targeted by the new visa program, is pleased with this decision as it is expected to face a labor shortage. work related to the increase in the number of foreign visitors to Japan.

"In particular, the shortage of manpower is likely to worsen at regional airports," said a Japan Airlines Co. official.

Companies hiring foreign workers under the new program will also be required to provide assistance not only in the workplace but also in daily life.

Suzuki, from Kokushikan University, said education reform would be a top priority if Japan continued to accept foreign workers, as its compulsory education system targeted only Japanese nationals .

"It comes down to whether nationals from abroad can hope for a future in Japan," said Suzuki. "The education of children and their long-term career choices matter."

In addition to companies in need of foreign labor, the general public in Japan is divided on the projected growth of foreign workers.

According to a recent online survey conducted by the Institute of Living Standards Research on Migrant Workers, 56.3% of the 2,000 respondents were in good standing, 23.9% were expecting more foreign workers while 19.8% preferred to see fewer citizens than now.