Society
Japan's Foreign Workers Hit a Record 440,000 as Refugee Rejection Hardens
Japan's Immigration Services Agency reported that 'specified skilled' foreign residents had reached a record 444,256, up 13.8% from the previous period, while separate reporting covered refugee applicants' anxiety ahead of an October 1 rise in residency-procedure fees. Reaction was dominated by fears of 'de facto immigration' and warnings about public safety, alongside sharp criticism of a system seen as exploiting cheap, disposable labor. In the refugee thread, blunt 'go home' rejection prevailed, with measured takes a small minority. Netizens often lumped the labor program and asylum together, though they are separate systems.
