日本의 入管法 改正과 外國人 勞動者 政策

Abstract

This article attempts to analyze rapid increases of illegal foreign workers and the following responses by the Japanese government since the late eighties. The most important causes of increase of foreign workers are high wage-rates and manpower shortage in Japan as well as high level of unemployment in underdeveloped countries.

Not a few political and economic leaders had argued that foreign workers should be legally allowed to work in Japan to solve a chronic manpower shortage, and public opinion was in favor of this stand as well. Consequently, in June 1990 Immigration Control Law was revised to allow inflow of foreign workers through the in-service training system. But the revision not only failed to control the inflow but deteriorated to the extent that trainees had to suffer bad working conditions and low wages without any legal protection. Since the increase of foreign workers in Japan is unavoidable, the government must carry out reforms for its economic as well as humanitarian concerns.