Maneki Neko
04-19-2007, 11:05 AM
Japan told to look to Europe for ideas on immigrant policy
HAKONE, Kanagawa Pref. -- As Japan debates whether to bring in large numbers of foreign workers, it should look at how the European Union countries formulate national immigration policy and the EU's overall migrant worker strategy.
That was the message delivered by EU and Japanese officials to nearly 20 journalists in Japan and from European countries who participated in an April 7-8 conference in Hakone sponsored by the European Commission delegation in Japan.
The 1997 Amsterdam Treaty established a legal framework to create an integrated immigration policy within the EU. The road from the general treaty to specific recommendations has proved bumpy. But Philippe de Bruycker, a professor at Free University of Brussels, said progress has been made.
"The EU has accepted the idea of a long-term residence directive, which is like the 'permanent residency' category in Japan. The EU has agreed that, after five years of legal residence, foreign workers can enjoy nearly the same legal status as EU citizens and will be protected against expulsion," de Bruycker said.
Read the full story at Japan Times Online (http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070419f3.html)
HAKONE, Kanagawa Pref. -- As Japan debates whether to bring in large numbers of foreign workers, it should look at how the European Union countries formulate national immigration policy and the EU's overall migrant worker strategy.
That was the message delivered by EU and Japanese officials to nearly 20 journalists in Japan and from European countries who participated in an April 7-8 conference in Hakone sponsored by the European Commission delegation in Japan.
The 1997 Amsterdam Treaty established a legal framework to create an integrated immigration policy within the EU. The road from the general treaty to specific recommendations has proved bumpy. But Philippe de Bruycker, a professor at Free University of Brussels, said progress has been made.
"The EU has accepted the idea of a long-term residence directive, which is like the 'permanent residency' category in Japan. The EU has agreed that, after five years of legal residence, foreign workers can enjoy nearly the same legal status as EU citizens and will be protected against expulsion," de Bruycker said.
Read the full story at Japan Times Online (http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070419f3.html)