Vietnam backs Japan efforts to stop illegal immigration

By Doan Loan July 2, 2019 | 12:45 am PT

A man cycles past chimneys of factories in Kawasaki, Japan, September 12, 2018. Photo by Reuters/Kim Kyung-Hoon.

Vietnam has made it harder for its workers and students to go to Japan as part of bilateral efforts to reduce illegal immigration.

Under an agreement signed in the presence of Prime Ministers Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Shinzo Abe, Japan will only accept guest workers sent by agencies authorized by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.

People who have done internships or completed two-year programs in Japan and passed both skill and Japanese tests will also be accepted. Expelled students and dropouts cannot take these tests.

Japanese authorities will closely monitor agencies offering overseas study programs from bringing in workers.

According to Japan’s Immigration Department, Vietnam surpassed China to become the largest group of technical intern trainees in the country at 164,499 last year, an increase of 30 percent over the previous year.

In recent years Japan has witnessed an increasing number of Vietnamese workers with expired visas and students working illegally.

Vietnam's labor ministry blamed this on some overseas education consultancies deceiving Vietnamese into going to Japan for study-work programs for a fee.