We held the 6th counselor training course, "Stories from Those Who Have Experienced Them."

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On January 28th, we held the 6th counselor training course, "Stories from Those Who Have Experienced the Issue."

As guest speakers, the father of a Bangladeshi national family currently seeking special permission to stay in Japan, and a young Filipino national who has already obtained special permission to stay in Japan, spoke at the event.

The Bangladeshi father explained how he came to Japan, why he overstayed his visa, and why he cannot return to his home country. He said that the main reason he cannot return is that if his children, who were born and raised in Japan and attend public schools, were to return to his home country, they would not be able to study because they would not understand the language. He said that he could not imagine his family being separated and that he would continue to request that they be allowed to stay in Japan together, even though they are struggling financially under temporary release.

Another guest speaker, a young man of Filipino nationality, was born and raised in Japan, but because his parents did not have resident status, he himself lived as an undocumented immigrant. He shared painful experiences, such as his parents being arrested at home when he was in elementary school, and his father being detained twice. His parents decided to return to their home country, and he and his younger brother were granted special status for immigrants. The young man said he still doesn't know if this decision, which separated his family, was the right one. His story strongly highlighted the problem of the current treatment of undocumented immigrants, which forces children to endure hardship.

Participants shared comments such as, "I gained a realistic understanding of the problems faced by those directly affected," and "I want to help ensure that foreign residents without legal residency status can live in Japan with peace of mind."

*This course is made possible with the support of the Pal System Tokyo Citizen Activity Grant Fund.