Yomiuri Says More Foreigners On Welfare

[Mulboyne]

Yomiuri: Sharp rise in foreigners receiving welfare
The number of low-income foreign households receiving welfare benefits sharply increased in the decade up to 2006, according to a Yomiuri Shimbun survey. While the figure rose 1.7 times to 29,336, access to the benefits among foreigners differed widely depending on where their benefit applications were made. The Livelihood Protection Law indicates that foreigners do not have a right to receive the benefits since it stipulates that the benefits be paid to Japanese nationals, not foreigners. But local governments, which grant the benefits, differ in their handling of this matter. The Yomiuri survey, conducted earlier this month, asked 73 major municipalities and wards whether they would pay the benefits to foreigners not registered as residents in their municipalities but living there for compelling reasons such as escaping from domestic violence. In response, 37 municipalities said they would pay the benefits in such cases, while 25 others said they would not. According to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, the number of households on welfare benefits across the nation is 1.08 million. Of them, households with ethnic Koreans comprise 22,356 of the welfare recipients, the largest foreign recipient group. Chinese households followed with 2,847 recipients, followed by households with Philippine women with 2,399. It is assumed that the ageing of Korean residents in Japan and an increase in divorces by Filipinas who married Japanese are major reasons for the sharp increase in foreign welfare recipients...more...

[FG Lurker]

Yep, all of 2.8% of welfare recipiants are foreigners. Man, we better beat those lazy no-good gaijin with sticks and get 'em out!

[IkemenTommy]

[Greji]

[Midwinter]

:rofl:

Yep, all of 2.8% of welfare recipiants are foreigners. Man, we better beat those lazy no-good gaijin with sticks and get 'em out!

We've got some work to do lads if we're ever going to close that 97.2% gap.

[omae mona]

Well, in general, government benefits are one of the reasons immigration opponents in many countries - not just Japan - give to keep out foreigners. I think it's understandable that some people are opposed to bringing in immigrants who are going to be a drain on the economy rather than a plus.

That being said, this result should not be used as anti-immigration fodder (but of course it will). The zainichi Korean special permanent residents seem to make up about 80% of the total. Just glancing at the numbers, it looks like it would be more like 0.4% instead of 2.8% if you take them out from the numbers. This would be lower than the percentage of non-Zainichi foreigners living here. So I think if anything, this means non-Zainichi residents have a lower rate of receiving welfare than the general population.

That doesn't surprise me, since a large amount of those foreigners are not permanent residents. That means they have sponsors or are financially independent enough to self-sponsor and are unlikely to need benefits.