Japan passes bill to allow more foreign workers

tokyo — Japanese lawmakers early on Saturday approved government-proposed legislation allowing hundreds of thousands of foreign labourers to live and work in a country that has long resisted accepting outsiders.

The contentious legislation passed only months after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe proposed the plan despite opposition groups’ demand for more thorough debate to address concerns about a drastic change of policy. It’s seen as an unavoidable step as the country’s population of about 126 million rapidly ages.

Many short-handed industries, especially in the services sector, already rely heavily on foreign “trainees” and language students. Japan also selectively grants visas to white-collar professionals, often from the West. Bringing in foreign labourers is a last resort after Abe’s government tried to meet labour shortages by encouraging more employment of women and older workers. —