Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara (L, 2nd) speaks at a ministerial meeting on policies about foreign nationals, at the prime minister's office in Tokyo, Japan, July 24, 2026. Photo: Jiji Press
Japan needs to strengthen its crackdown on illegal overstayers and make screening procedures for foreign residents faster, Kihara said at a ministerial meeting on policies about foreigners.
The government plans to boost the number of immigration control officers and immigration inspectors by some 200 each.
The number of foreign nationals staying illegally in Japan stood at 68,488 as of January, the agency said.
Kihara said that the government will establish a working group of experts to work out a basic policy for accepting foreigners by the end of fiscal 2026.
The group will discuss measures, including control over the number of foreigners, which was proposed last year by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party.
The government also plans to set up another working group, to examine learning programs for Japanese language and life skills for foreigners.
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