Held a meeting for undocumented immigrants

We held an "Irregular Residents Meeting" on Sunday, January 22, 2017. On the day, more than 30 irregular residents and supporters gathered, exceeding the scheduled attendance, to report on the current situation surrounding special residence permits and to discuss future action plans.
As we shared our fears and goals with our peers in the same situation, we reaffirmed our determination to fight among ourselves. Finally, we held a social gathering to unite our resolve for the "Migrant Workers' May Day" to be held at APFS on Sunday, April 30th.

Currently, it remains difficult for irregular residents to be granted special permission to stay. Therefore, APFS has held a "Citizens' Forum on Special Permission to Stay" together with experts to discuss the direction of future activities.linkThe results of that discussion were also reported at this meeting.
A child who normally never speaks in public spoke with a trembling voice, "I think it's strange that even human rights are not recognized." Members who had previously received special permission to stay in Japan and are now living legally in Japan offered words of encouragement. The event became a place where people involved and supporters could share the conflicts and hopes they each have.

There was also a moment when APFS, as a supporter, expressed to the person concerned the attitude with which they would like them to face their problems. It was particularly impressive to see the person concerned re-solidify his resolve after hearing the APFS director's words, "If you don't have a strong feeling, go home."

At the social gathering held after the meeting, the tension that had been building up up until that point was eased and everyone was able to freely share their thoughts.
On Sunday, April 30th, we will hold a "Migrant Workers' May Day." We will also be discussing the issues faced by undocumented immigrants.
We hope to work together with you to further expand our activities, and we appreciate your continued interest.