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ZWC_yamada 
On January 21st (Sat) and 22nd (Sun), 2017, from 12:00 to 17:00, APFS operated a "Foreigner Consultation Hotline."
APFS counselors, lawyers, and interpreters in English, Nepali, Tagalog, and Chinese gathered around three telephones and offered advice to those calling.
On Saturday, January 21st, we received 19 phone calls. Of these, 13 were from Nepalese nationals. Two were from Iranian nationals, and one each from American, Filipino, Cameroonian, and Peruvian nationals. Many of the inquiries concerned labor issues, with numerous questions regarding workers' compensation, unpaid wages, and unfair dismissal. Other inquiries included those about permanent residency, re-entry procedures, pensions, international marriages, and traffic accidents. There were also inquiries about visitation rights with children after divorce.
On Sunday, the 22nd, we received 13 phone calls. Of these, 11 were from Nepalese nationals, but we also received calls from Filipino and South Korean nationals. There were inquiries about a variety of issues, but many were related to residence status. Many inquiries concerned the "skilled worker" residence status, with questions about the requirements and application procedures for this status. We also received calls regarding permanent residency, extensions/changes of residence status, and refugee applications.
In addition to issues related to residence status, I also received consultations regarding labor issues. Some people were unable to pay their rent due to unpaid wages, and others were facing problems with unfair dismissal. I also received calls from people who had overstayed their visas and wanted to know what they could do as undocumented residents.
Calls came in from all over Japan, from Fukuoka Prefecture to Gunma and Miyagi Prefectures. In addition to providing the necessary information, the APFS hotline team also guided callers to local foreigner consultation centers and legal consultation centers. For those living close enough to access the APFS office in Tokyo, we are also creating an environment where they can come in person soon for one-on-one support.
In recent years, the Nepalese population has increased dramatically. This trend was clearly evident in the hotline we recently operated. Nepalese interpreters worked tirelessly, answering calls one after another. In some cases, callers had to be asked to wait. This experience has once again highlighted the importance of providing a hotline in the native language of foreigners. We have already received requests from external parties for Vietnamese language support.
Including December, we handled a total of 74 consultations over four days.
This also served as an opportunity to reaffirm the organization's purpose: to provide support to those who don't know how to solve a problem, and to work together to create a path to resolving that problem.