65% against Diet passage of foreign workers’ bill: Kyodo News poll
Japan has a shrinking population. It has an aging population. It is a no-brainer that it needs more young people to work and support the old and give them care. So trying to give reasons, whatever they may be, to stave off immigration is really detrimental to Japan's future.
The existing visa for foreign trainees does not really facilitate technology transfer to foreign countries. It is just being exploited as a workaround for companies to hire cheap foreign labour. Having a more comprehensive immigration bill is actually in the interest of these foreign workers, not against them. It is not morally right to bring in cheap labour, then turn them away after 5 years. If they have contributed to Japanese society, and can continue to contribute, there is no reason to send them home. The Japanese people may want Japan to stay Japanese, but maybe it is time to rethink what "Japanese" means. Is it about blood, ethnicity, and race? Is it about geographical boundaries? Or is it about an ideal held by a group of people?
Countries and people worry about immigration usually because they have a lack of identity. If they have a strong and well-defined identity, then immigration does not erode it; instead, it brings in diverse strengths to make it stronger.
Japan has a shrinking population. It has an aging population. It is a no-brainer that it needs more young people to work and support the old and give them care. So trying to give reasons, whatever they may be, to stave off immigration is really detrimental to Japan's future.
The existing visa for foreign trainees does not really facilitate technology transfer to foreign countries. It is just being exploited as a workaround for companies to hire cheap foreign labour. Having a more comprehensive immigration bill is actually in the interest of these foreign workers, not against them. It is not morally right to bring in cheap labour, then turn them away after 5 years. If they have contributed to Japanese society, and can continue to contribute, there is no reason to send them home. The Japanese people may want Japan to stay Japanese, but maybe it is time to rethink what "Japanese" means. Is it about blood, ethnicity, and race? Is it about geographical boundaries? Or is it about an ideal held by a group of people?
Countries and people worry about immigration usually because they have a lack of identity. If they have a strong and well-defined identity, then immigration does not erode it; instead, it brings in diverse strengths to make it stronger.
No comments:
Post a Comment