by Yokoyama Yuu

The U.S. receives a lot of immigrants and there are many undocumented immigrants – about twelve million people. Today, undocumented immigrants also come in Japan. Each immigrant has the reason they cannot return their home country. For example, there are some children who do not know that they are undocumented till they try to get their driver license or university application. Although they love their country as well as other citizens, they always have the fear that they will be arrested and deported from their home country. On the other hand, there are some people who suggest it. Today, Japan also tends to deport undocumented immigrants – about a half million foreign people are taken in prison as illegal residence every year and Japan forces to deport them. It is cruel that undocumented immigrants are forced to be arrested and deported although they are innocent, isn’t it?

However, there are also problems for allowing undocumented immigrants to stay in. First, some immigrants who can get the status of residence desperately feel it is not equal that illegal ones can live without such effort. Second, some people are worried about that the job for citizens will decrease because illegal immigration works very low salary. For example, in U.S. about 5% of labor population depends on illegal immigration. Many undocumented immigration works in agricultural business. Third, if the country allows undocumented immigrants to stay without limit, it will be difficult to count the population of immigrants and the investigation of crime foreigners will become hard. This makes society worse.

In human view point, some people think government should not deport illegal people because some American has immigrant friends. Obama suggested new policy which allows illegal immigrant to stay in U.S. for two years. Thus, U.S. progress the direction to protect of immigration rights. However, we have to also consider if we receive many immigrants, how the society of the country will become.

I think Japan should give more chance for undocumented immigrants like the U.S. For example, Japan allows undocumented immigrants to work and if they can work well and success, gives states of residence forever having some conditions such as renewal of states once a year. Japan can let illegal immigration for the business which Japanese people do not want to such as agribusiness, caring for old people and train immigrants so that they can learn professional technique and work in the Japanese companies of foreign local place. It will increase the profit of Japan. They enter the country to earn money to live, so Illegal immigration has the motivation to work. In this way, immigrant may give Japan benefits. It will lead the “Dream Act” of Japan.