Japan Creates Cabinet-Level Office to Oversee Foreign Resident Policies

Japan on 15 July formally set up the Foreign Resident Orderly Coexistence Promotion Office within the Cabinet Secretariat, positioning it as a cross-ministerial “control tower” for immigration and foreign-resident policy. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told staff at the inaugural ceremony at the Prime Minister’s Office that safeguarding public safety and fairness is a prerequisite for economic growth and ordered tougher enforcement against rule-breakers. The new office will coordinate the Immigration Services Agency, Health and Labour Ministry, Finance Ministry and other bodies to tighten entry and residency checks, prevent non-payment of social-insurance premiums, and oversee land acquisitions by foreign nationals. Officials also plan to build a system that allows ministries and local governments to share tax and insurance data, enabling stricter scrutiny when foreign residents renew their visas. Ishiba first announced the initiative on 8 July amid polls showing voter unease over isolated crimes and alleged misuse of public services by some foreign residents. With the upper house election scheduled for 20 July, foreign-resident policy has become a campaign issue; Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi rejected suggestions that the timing was aimed at influencing the vote.