mytest

Hi Blog. In case you haven’t heard, the GOJ is abolishing the old Gaijin Card system. In its place, a “Zairyuu Card”, which you must carry around 24-7 (same as before), only with more centralized policing power and more tracking capability. Except if you’re a Zainichi (Special Permanent Resident) “generational foreigner”, it seems, according to the article below.

Good for them. However, this exemption doesn’t apply to the other “Regular Permanent Residents”, who emigrated here, can stay here forever like the Zainichi, and who probably outnumber the Zainichi for the first time in history as of 2007. How about concerns for their “human rights”, then? Never mind. This is a matter of politics, not logic. Read on. Arudou Debito in Sapporo

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Japan to delay decision on requiring special permanent residents to carry ID
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/national/news/20080310p2a00m0na013000c.html
Mainichi Shinbun March 10, 2008
Courtesy Jeff Korpa

The Justice Ministry will postpone until next fiscal year a decision on whether to require special permanent residents such as Koreans to carry identification cards after the government abolishes the alien registration system, ministry sources said.

Ministry officials have deemed that they need more time to carefully consider the matter as the human rights of permanent foreign residents are involved, according to the sources.

An advisory council to the government on immigration policies will submit its final report to the justice minister by the end of this month, recommending that the alien registration system be abolished and a system similar to the basic resident register system for Japanese nationals be introduced for permanent residents.

However, it will not incorporate in the report whether the ministry should issue identification cards to special permanent residents or if they should be required to carry such ID cards at all times.

Under the Alien Registration Law, permanent foreign residents are required to carry their alien registration cards.

A final decision on the issue may not be made until the government submits a bill on a new resident register system for foreign nationals to a regular Diet session early next year, the sources suggest.

In January, the Justice Ministry and Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry decided to replace the current foreigner registration system based on the Alien Registration Law with a system similar to the basic resident register system for Japanese nationals.

Mainichi Shinbun March 10, 2008
ENDS