New link added 20 Sep 2021: Japan to provide greater COVID-19 vaccine support to foreign residents "The government, together with local municipalities, will ensure that vaccination vouchers are sent without fail to foreign nationals living in the country and promote multilingual COVID-19 consultation services via telephone, it said." The article doesn't explain the policy towards irregular migrant workers. Japan Times, 25 Jun 2021.
New link added 20 Sep 2021: 仮放免の外国人に新型コロナワクチン接種へ 厚労省、オーバーステイもケース見て対応 Yahoo Japan, 3 Apr 2021.
New link added 20 Sep 2021: Kawaguchi city to vaccinate unregistered foreigners The city has decide to offer vaccinations to foreigners regardless of their residency status, as many members of the large Kurdish community are asylum seekers who have not registered their residency with the city. Asahi Shimbun, 9 Jun 2021.
New link added 20 Sep 2021: コロナワクチンについて / COVID-19 Vaccines / Vaccins contre le covid19 Multilingual information for refugees about what to do if they have received a Covid vaccination voucher (接種圏) or have been vaccinated and are suffering side-effects. There is no information about what to do if you haven't received the voucher for a vaccination. Japan Association for Refugees, 22 July 2021.
New link added 20 Sep 2021: あかさかファミリークリニック・むりょうワクチン Free Vaccinations, Akasaka Family Clinic / Vaccinations gratuites, Akasaka Family Clinic A multilingual announcement of free vaccinations for 30 refugees who are connected with Japan Association for Refugees. 11 July 2021.
New link added 20 Sep 2021: Are refugees, migrants and displaced people being forgotten in COVID-19 vaccination programs? Looks at whether migrants and refugees including undocumented migrants are being included in vaccination programs in different countries around the world. Info Migrants, 23 Feb 2021.
New link added 20 Sep 2021: HCR calls on states to remove barriers to access to COVID-19 vaccines for refugees This article reports on the numbers of countries that have committed to providing Covid vaccinations for refugees and asylum seekers, some of the problems in actually doing this, and action being taken to overcome them. UNHCR ( The UN Refugee Agency), 24 Jun 2021.
New link added 20 Sep 2021: Migration data relevant for the COVID-19 pandemic This report looks at the impact of the Covid pandemic on migrants around the world and how much they have been included in policy responses, including in vaccination campaigns. There is no data specifically on Japan. Migration Data Portal, 7 Sep 2021.
New link added 20 Sep 2021: Illegal foreigners released due to complications from pandemic "The novel coronavirus pandemic has forced immigration authorities to temporarily release from detention illegal foreigners who are scheduled for deportation, but many of the former detainees are unhappy about the situation." The article looks at the difficulties for those who have been released, including not being able to work and problems with paying for health care. Asahi Shimbun, 28 Sep 2020.
New link added 20 Sep 2021: COVID-19: challenges faced by Nepalese migrants living in Japan This is an academic article that reports on a survey of Nepalese migrants in Japan and looks at six main responses from them to the Covid pandemic in Japan: 1) experiencing psychosomatic symptoms (worries and ill health due to the stress of the situation, 2) adoption of new healthy behaviors (to stay safe in the pandemic), 3) financial hardship, 4) family concerns (including worries about the effects on children), 5) reflections on discrimination (around Covid) and 6) reflections on the support available and the support they would like. BMC Public Heath, 19 Apr 2021.
New link added 27 Apr 2021 Filipino in Japan forms labor union for overseas workers Foreign workers in Japan, an essential part of the labor force in the aging country, have been one of the demographic groups most affected by the economic downturn due to the coronavirus pandemic. This article reports on a labour union in Aichi formed by Maria Santos and 15 other Filipinos who were laid off or didn’t have their fixed-term contracts renewed amid the pandemic. Kyodo News, 28 Mar 2021.
New link added 27 Apr 2021 コロナ禍、外国人のフードバンク利用急増…セカンドハーベスト・ジャパンに聞く - 弁護士ドットコム (bengo4.com) About foreign people in Japan who use food bank during the COVID19 pandemic.
New link added 27 Apr 2021 HRN Statement Concerning the Effects of COVID-19 on Migrant Workers in Japan calling on the government of Japan to take measures to protect migrants from the effects of COVID-19. This includes their rights to health and access to relevant information, e.g., by expanding free/low cost medical care; the rights to work and social security to ensure their livelihoods, e.g., by protecting foreigners’ residential status and access to public assistance; the right to education for foreign students, e.g., through multi-language textbooks and better access to emergency support aid; and ending discrimination, e.g., by punishing hate speech and preventing xenophobic speech in media coverage. Recommendations are also made for businesses. Human Rights Now, 12 Nov, 2020.
Foreign workers hit hard by pandemic despite record number The article looks at the impact of the pandemic on the employment of foreign workers, and tells the story of Raquel Garcia, a Filipino worker at a Sharp Corporation factory who lost her job. It also summarises the different categories and numbers of foreign workers in Japan. Japan Times, 5 Feb 2021.
Foreign workers feel the pain of ‘corona job cuts’ in Japan This article looks at the stories of Rennan Yamashita form Brazil who lost his job 9 or ten times and Kaoru Nakano, a Japanese-Brazilian woman, who was also laid-off (lost her job). It explains that foreign workers are often laid off first because they are on short-term contracts and are easy to fire. Asahi Shimbun, 5 May 2020.
Pandemic kills the dreams of foreign hotel staff for new life This article looks at the situation of foreign students in Japan who were working in the hotels in Japan to make money to live on but have lost their jobs due to the pandemic. It tells the story of several such students. Asahi Shimbun, 11 Aug 2020.
Foreign workers in Japan hit record in 2020 despite COVID-19 Asahi Shimbun, 20 Jan 2021.
Foreign workers in Japan seek help as pandemic worsens job situation Workers from foreign countries are seeing a tougher employment environment due to the pandemic, which had eliminated more than 50,000 jobs for them by the end of August. Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, 24 Sep 2020.
Pandemic Leads to Fewer Japanese Companies Planning to Recruit Foreign Workers In the uncertain climate surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, Japanese companies have become more cautious when it comes to plans to recruit international students. Nippon.com, 22 Feb 2021.
Labor-starved Japan welcomes return of foreign workers This article looks at the situation of businesses that rely on foreign workers, particularly on the Technical Internship Training Programme, caused by the restrictions on foreigners coming into Japan during the pandemic. Nikkei Asia, 26 Sep 2020.
Vietnamese find lifeline at temple in Nagoya after losing jobs This article explains the stories of Vietnamese people sheltering at Tokurinji temple in Nagoya. They lost their jobs on the Technical Internship Training Programme and were unable to return home to Vietnam because of corona restrictions on travel and entry to Japan. The article refers to experts who blame the situation on problems with the Technical Internship Training Programme itself. Asahi Shimbun, 11 May 2020.
Foreign students in Japan losing jobs, chances and hope in pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic has cut the income of foreign students in Japan, most of whom have relied on part-time jobs, such as working at convenience stores and restaurants, to make ends meet. Asahi Shimbun, 7 May 2020.
Tokyo sex parlor heads accused of illegally hiring foreign trainees The article describes a sex parlour which used Vietnamese women to provides sexual services. The women came to Japan to work on the Technical Internship Training Programme but lost their jobs in that due to the pandemic and could not return to Vietnam so turned to sex work to survive. Asahi Shimbun, 10 Nov 2020.
「新型コロナウイルス 外国人労働者は」（くらし☆解説）- NHK article, 16 April 2020
外国人の「コロナ切り」続出 解雇、雇い止め…全国で相談2000件超 – 西日本新聞, 25 April 2020
「消えてなくなりたい」コロナ禍の直撃を受けた外国人労働者を救えるか – DIAMOND online, 22 May 2020
仮放免中に発熱、健康保険証なし 利用できる制度は – 朝日新聞, 6 June 2020
ベトナム人女性が直面した債務労働と技能実習制度のひずみ＝コロナ以前から彼女が経験していた搾取と差別 – by 巣内尚子, Yahoo news, 19 May 2019
｢コロナ切り｣31歳ブラジル出身の彼が見た残酷, 日本の外国人労働者｢調整弁｣で扱われる現実 – 東洋経済online, 9 May 2020