Japan’s Mie Pref. Mulls Stopping Hiring Foreigners

Tsu, Mie Pref., Dec. 24 (Jiji Press)–The prefectural government of Mie, central Japan, is considering stopping hiring foreign nationals, in order to protect confidential information, officials said Wednesday. Prefectural officials cited concerns about leaks of agricultural production information and residents’ personal data, particularly in light of China’s national intelligence law, which requires citizens to cooperate with intelligence agencies. The prefecture will conduct a survey in late January to gather opinions from local residents before making a final decision on the matter. The Mie prefectural government scrapped the nationality requirement for all job categories except for some in fiscal 1999 to encourage foreign nationals to participate in society. Currently, 44 out of 49 occupations, including positions in the governor’s department, are open to foreign nationals. The prefecture has hired nine foreign nationals, such as doctors and nurses, with one currently employed in the medical profession. It plans to retain this employee even if a nationality requirement is established. There are 12 prefectures in Japan, including Mie, in which foreign nationals currently can take the employment examination for public positions, according to the Mie prefectural government. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]