Japan to allow in foreign nurses to care for old people

Japan is planning to ease its strict immigration rules to allow more nurses into the country to care for its ageing population.

The ruling Liberal Democratic party and its coalition partners approved a proposal last week by the Justice Ministry to change visa and residency regulations so that non-Japanese people can be employed in a wider variety of jobs.

Under existing regulations, working visas are restricted mainly to people deemed to have “expertise” in the fields of academia, high technology, and journalism. The Justice Ministry said that this should be expanded to include nurses who can provide care for elderly people, as well as workers in the fields of agriculture and fisheries.

The government says that the shift is a reflection of globalisation and the greying of society. Because Japan has the longest life span in the world (83 years for women) and one of the lowest birth rates (1.39 children per woman), it is ageing fast.

By 2020 it is estimated that more than 1 in 4 of Japan's 120 million population will be over 65. As many of these people will require care, the Health and Welfare Ministry expects that it will need many more than the 32000 nurses who work in Japan at present.

According to media reports, work will begin at the end of the month to revise the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act so that the changes can be implemented as part of a new five year plan.

Accepting an influx of workers from overseas is likely to be a difficult decisionfor Japan, which prides itself on its ethnic homogeneity. Currently, foreign residents account for less than 1.5% of the population.

The ageing of society: Japan may use foreign nurses for care

(Credit: PAUL QUAYLE/PANOS PICTURE)