Survey: 22% say govt's policy on foreign workers "ineffective"

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo A Vietnamese worker who holds residential status for specified skilled workers is seen at a food factory in Ina, Nagano Prefecture, on Feb 20. (Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

It will be soon one year since the revised Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law came into force in April last year to expand the acceptance of foreign workers.

Asked about the effectiveness of the government's policy on accepting foreign laborers, 27 local governments, or 22% of 121 local governments surveyed, said "it has not been effective," according to a recent survey conducted by The Yomiuri Shimbun.

The government expected that up to 47,550 people would obtain residential status for specified skilled workers in the first year of the new system under the revised law. However, only about 10% of that figure has obtained the status so far, and 26 local governments said "the acceptance of foreigners with specified skills has not progressed."

The survey was conducted in February and March on the local governments of prefectures, ordinance-designated major cities, prefectural capitals and 23 wards in Tokyo. All responded.

The government has allocated budgets to accommodate the acceptance of foreign workers and promote "coexistence" with foreigners.

With regard to this point, 26% of respondents evaluated the measures positively, with 31 local governments saying "it has been effective to some extent" and one local government saying "it has been very effective." All cited such reasons why as "business operators have more interest in foreign workers."

However, 25 respondents said "it has not been very effective" and two governments said "it has been completely ineffective." Fifty-three local governments, or 44%, reserved judgment on the matter, saying they "cannot determine the effectiveness."

Many small and midsize companies suffering from labor shortages are becoming keen to hire foreign nationals. However, the survey has revealed the reality that foreign nationals with residential status for specified skilled workers are not actively working as local governments had hoped.

Although 5,110 foreigners had obtained the residential status for specified skilled workers by March 19, only 2,994 were working in Japan as of the end of February, according to the Immigration Services Agency.

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