Secure stable residency for all children studying in Japan! — Report on the rally for the unified action to obtain special residency permits.

On December 19, 2010, we held a rally to launch a coordinated action demanding special residency permits for 17 families and 1 individual (42 people in total). We began by reporting on the following three points that we had requested during negotiations with the Ministry of Justice.

(1) Please grant residency to undocumented immigrant families with children of elementary school age or older.
(2) Please grant residency to the entire family (do not separate parents and children).
(3) Please grant special permission to stay to family members of foreigners who entered the country illegally.

Next, we shared our understanding of the three obstacles to obtaining special residence permits: the "fourth-grade elementary school barrier," the "family separation barrier," and the "illegal entry barrier." After that, we explained the future steps. Our overall goal is to ensure that all children can obtain stable residency in Japan.

My short-term goal is to understand my situation in light of the "Guidelines for Special Permission to Stay in Japan," and then seek cooperation through individual signature campaigns and outreach to those around me. My medium-term goal is to deepen and expand the movement through petitions to politicians, media coverage, a nationwide signature campaign, and various actions and events. My long-term goal is to strengthen horizontal connections, make policy recommendations, and ultimately obtain special permission to stay in Japan.