On June 14, 2024, a bill to amend the Immigration Control Act was passed.
Under revised Act, the Minister of Justice may revoke permanent residence permits for people who willfully fail to pay social insurance premiums or taxes. The amendment also expands the scope of criminal acts that are subject to revocation of PR.
Japanese government explained the reason of this amendment as below.
With the increase in the percentage of foreign workers, the number of people with permanent residents will also increase. On the other hand, compared to Japanese nationals, non-Japanese people tend to be more delinquent in the payment of tax or social insurance.
Although the payment of taxes and social insurance is strictly examined at the time of application for a permanent residence permit, a certain percentage of people stop the payment immediately after obtaining PR status. Under such circumstances, Japanese government decided to introduce a system for revocation of PR permits.
However, there are many voices opposing this amendment. Some point out that there is no adequate data to show that a large percentage of those with permanent residence permits are delinquent in paying taxes and social insurance premiums.
In any case, it is necessary to ensure that the lives of permanent residents will not be suddenly threatened. The Japanese government has stated that they will make the procedures fair and transparent by issuing guidelines that will apply after the Immigration Control Act is revised. However, it is unknown what kind of guidelines will be drafted.
