Tokyo: Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi on Friday announced a new policy package aimed at strengthening measures against foreign nationals staying and working in Japan illegally. The initiative, known as the Zero Illegal Foreign Residents Plan, outlines the focus areas for the Immigration Services Agency based on a comprehensive set of policy measures related to foreign nationals released earlier in January. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has prioritized this policy area.

According to Philippines News Agency, the package emphasizes enhancing the agency's capabilities to collect and analyze information found on social media to detect illegal employment. It also includes ramping up enforcement actions against employers who facilitate such practices. In light of reports about the trade of forged residence cards on social media platforms, the agency plans to introduce a dedicated data-collection tool to address this issue.

Additionally, the agency will strengthen measures to prevent metal and plastic junkyard operators from becoming hubs for illegal employment. This move comes in response to a rise in the number of such operators due to increasing metal prices. Despite a decline over the past two years, the number of foreign nationals staying in Japan illegally remained high at 68,488 as of January, according to the agency.