Characteristics of Japanese Policy on Highly-Skilled Migrants

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K04161
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Sociology
• Research Institution: Hosei University
• Principal Investigator: KAMIBAYASHI Chieko 法政大学, その他部局等, 名誉教授 (30255202)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 田嶋 淳子 法政大学, 社会学部, 教授 (20255152) ; 長谷部 弘道 杏林大学, 総合政策学部, 准教授 (40781282) ; 山口 塁 法政大学, その他部局等, 講師 (70769083)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 高度外国人材 / 技能実習生 / 日系ブラジル人 / 中国高度人材 / 企業コミュニティ / 外国人非集住地区 / 外国人技能実習制度

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aging population of the Japanese society has forced to change an immigration policy of Japan.
Firstly, in order to acquire highly-skilled immigrants, point-based system was introduced, but the system is rather incompatible with the Japanese employment system among large enterprises. Secondly, as for middle-level skilled workers, "Specified Skilled Workers System" was set up in 2018. Those specified skilled workers has increased with the spread of Covid-19, when newly hired technical inters could not enter Japan. Thirdly, technical interns and Brazilians of Japanese descendants are still only sources for providing low-skilled workers. Most Japanese enterprises make a portfolio between technical interns, Japanese Brazilians and moving production sites abroad. Even those enterprises which operate with the cutting-edge of technologies, cannot hesitate to employ large number of foreign workers.

Free Research Field

産業社会学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

日本の外国人受け入れ政策を移民政策として捉え、日系中南米人と技能実習生の低熟練労働者の受け入れ、高度人材という名称の外国人ホワイトカラーの受け入れの双方について、日本の移民政策の日本的特徴を外国の移民政策との比較から洗い出した。

学術的には「移民社会学」を日本で成立させ、その発展に寄与できること、また社会的には日本の今後の移民政策の立案・実施に役立たせられること、の２つの意義を見出せる。