March 14, 2026

Japanese Communist Party member of the Ibaraki Prefectural Assembly Ejiri Kana, at an assembly meeting on March 13, demanded that the prefectural government withdraw its plan to introduce a system soliciting and offering a cash reward for information on foreigners who work without proper visas.

The prefectural government claims that Ibaraki has the highest number of illegal foreign workers in the country, and appealed for the need to introduce the system to deal with this issue.

Stating that the cash reward system does not solve the issue, Ejiri stressed the importance of understanding the underlying causes of illegal employment of foreign nationals and improving preventive measures.

Ejiri proposed that the prefectural government address the illegal employment issue by such means as enhancing consultation services for foreign residents and communicating with the national government based on the prefecture’s actual conditions.

The prefectural government explained that after announcing the cash reward plan, it received approximately 400 comments from residents, many of which expressed concerns that the cash reward system may lead to human rights violations and the promotion of xenophobia. However, it indicated its intention to go ahead with the introduction of the system.