Japan with its faster-aging population needs the migrant workers for the domestic labour market. Despite the good conditions for stable work, the foreigners from the neighbouring Asian countries complain of exploitation, Japan Today reports.
The Japanese government intends to bring in 345,000 more foreign workers in the next five years, to staff sectors including restaurants, construction, agriculture and nursing. Many will come from nations such as China, Myanmar, Vietnam and the Philippines and as trainees are paid below minimum wage. for many of them, it is unacceptable because they have been anticipated higher salary.
Another worrying moment the migrant workers die of work-related causes at twice Japan’s overall rate, according to an analysis of government data, The Japan Times reported.
Japan welcomes immigration because of acute labour shortage
Japan has both the world’s third-largest economy, and fastest-aging population. It also faces an acute labor shortage. Now, it is doing something previously unthinkable: allowing immigration — even as its prime minister denies it.
Many analysts compare the technical training program to Germany’s gastarbeiter or guest worker program of the 1950s-70s. It too took in labourers from poorer countries — mostly Turkey — but tried to limit workers’ stay in order to prevent immigration. But despite all those efforts, the cost of hiring and training temporary workers was too high for German economy.
Not only in Japan, all around the globe, but the problem of labor brokers using debt to enslave would-be immigrants is also an element in human trafficking in many countries.
Shinzo Abe’s government has promised to crack down on unscrupulous brokers, establish 100 “consultation centres” where trainees can report abuses, increase Japanese language training for enrollees and generally strengthen oversight of the program.
