We held a protest in front of the Prime Minister's Official Residence (Cabinet Office) to submit a petition.

On Wednesday, March 27, 2013, at 3:00 PM, APFS, along with 36 individuals from 19 families (Philippines, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Peru, Mali, and Guinea) and their supporters, held a petition submission action in front of the Prime Minister's Official Residence (Cabinet Office). Despite the unusually cold weather for spring, the 36 individuals and their supporters earnestly appealed for special permission to stay in Japan in front of the Prime Minister's Official Residence (Cabinet Office), pleading for special permission to stay. Many people accepted their leaflets. Towards the end of the action, the petition was handed over inside the Cabinet Office, and the request was formally accepted as a petition.

APFS will continue to work with those affected and their supporters to seek special permission to stay in Japan for undocumented immigrants. We appreciate your support and cooperation.

The following is the content of the request document.
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March 27, 2013
Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe

APFS (Non-Profit Organization).

ASIAN PEOPLE'S FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY

Representative Director Jotaro Kato
4 others

Request

We, 19 families and 3 individuals totaling 36 people (from 9 countries: the Philippines, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Peru, Mali, and Guinea), are undocumented immigrants and strongly request that special permission to stay be granted as soon as possible.

Deportation orders have already been issued to all 36 undocumented immigrants from 19 families and 3 individuals. However, based on the changes in circumstances since the issuance of the deportation orders and our urgent need to remain in Japan to make a living, we have filed a petition with the Minister of Justice for a review.

We have been repeatedly requesting the Minister of Justice to grant us special permission to stay in Japan, but the situation has not changed at all. Therefore, we hope that by directly conveying our request to the Prime Minister, the head of the Japanese government, he will urge the Minister of Justice to take action toward a retrial for us.

For some, as many as seven years have passed since their deportation orders were issued. Their living conditions are extremely difficult due to their unstable residency status. This is having a particularly serious impact on the healthy development of children. Children are unsure whether they can continue to live in Japan and cannot envision their own future. Furthermore, unable to enroll in health insurance and receive adequate medical care, some have developed advanced hepatitis B and are suffering from terminal hepatocellular carcinoma. There is a strong need for special permission to stay in Japan as soon as possible.

Each of us has deeply regretted becoming an undocumented immigrant. However, we hope that you will also understand the circumstances that led us to become undocumented immigrants. In 1993, when the number of undocumented immigrants was at its highest, there were over 300,000 people residing in Japan. However, in response to the vague sense of unease towards foreigners after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States, and the prolonged stagnation of the Japanese economy, the Immigration Bureau of the Ministry of Justice intensified its crackdown on undocumented immigrants and began to forcibly deport them.

Rather than simply holding undocumented immigrants accountable, I would like you to consider the background behind the large number of undocumented immigrants present in Japan. We came to Japan because our families needed to survive in our home countries where industry was underdeveloped and there were no jobs, and because Japanese society needed the labor force of undocumented immigrants.

Furthermore, I believe the country also bears responsibility for neglecting to formulate policies regarding foreigners and immigration. The lack of such policies has significantly contributed to the emergence of many undocumented immigrants. In developed countries, amnesty (legalization) has been implemented for undocumented immigrants. We too hope to live in Japan as "beings who live together with us."

We will not only express our own needs, but also demonstrate through our actions how we can contribute to Japanese society. We will continue to engage in volunteer activities in our local communities and in disaster-stricken areas.

The number of undocumented immigrants has decreased to 67,065, and the problems they face have largely disappeared from Japanese society. Therefore, we will be launching various appeals to encourage Japanese society to reconsider the issues faced by undocumented immigrants.

Having lived in Japanese society for many years, we have found people who support us. Several support groups have been established. In addition to families who have established support groups, there are many other families and individuals who are collecting signatures. The existence of supporters and those who cooperate by signing signatures is proof that we have become established in Japanese society.

Our wish is to continue living a simple yet steady life here in Japan. We humbly ask that you grant our wish.
That's all.