Facing economic hardship, many foreign laborers want to leave Japan
Earlier this week, two Brazilian women were arrested in Gunma prefecture after robbing a liquor store. The women told police interrogators that they had just been laid off and stole the money so they could pay for plane tickets to go back to Brazil with their children.
It would seem that the two women are not alone in their desire to leave the country and seek work elsewhere. The Japan Times has run a two part article about the troubles many foreign workers are facing now that the economy has taken a dive, and the second part mentioned the fact that many foreign laborers now want to leave Japan:
Over the past few months, layoffs among foreigners nationwide, especially those who are temp workers employed by auto parts manufacturing plants in the Kanto and Chubu regions, continue to grow as Toyota and other leading automobile firms struggle with declining demand. Many now out of work would return home if they could, but the rising cost of airplane tickets due to increased fuel surcharges makes it difficult.
“A lot of Brazilians who have lost their jobs would return if they could. But a ticket back costs nearly ¥200,000, which is money they don’t have,” Santos said.
The Japanese government has announced a plan to support foreigners who have lost their jobs, but it looks like the help will only be available to permanent residents.
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