The Immigration Services Agency of Japan, in cooperation with local governments, will soon start verifying the current addresses of foreign residents to ensure that they can all receive their vaccination vouchers.
There are some cases in which foreign residents in Japan do not file a change of address when they move for reasons such as changing jobs. As a result, even if vouchers are sent to the addresses registered on their residence certificates, the vouchers are sometimes returned as undeliverable. The current move is aimed at helping to ensure the vouchers are delivered properly so that foreign residents can receive vaccinations.
The agency will inquire local governments about foreign residents who have not yet received their vouchers in order to find out their current contact details by using information it has, such as their work place and school.
The agency will then ask the residents to register their current addresses. To make sure they receive their vouchers, the agency will also pass the results of the inquiries to relevant local governments.
The government will support the inoculation system to make sure that all foreign residents who want to be vaccinated receive shots regardless of whether they have residency status. It also plans to vaccinate detainees at immigration facilities and those who are on temporary release from such places.
According to the agency, 2.951 million foreign residents were living in Japan to work or study as of the end of June last year. As of the end of last year, 3,200 people were detained in immigration facilities for overstaying or had been granted provisional release for reasons such as their health conditions.
The Foreign Residents Support Center, which provides consultations, will also provide interpretation services in 14 languages for such occasions as when foreign residents contact local governments. It is also preparing to distribute flyers in 18 languages to local immigration offices across the country to inform people that vaccination vouchers will be posted soon.
"We want to support all foreign residents who wish to be vaccinated," said an agency official.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
