No. 1414 Foreign Residents and Livelihood Protection
During the election campaign period in mid-July for the House of Councilors a narrative that ‘foreigners enjoy preferential treatment’ was heard loudly, especially voiced from candidates of the Sansei-to political party. They criticized practices, referring to the Livelihood Protection Service, the Assistance Program for High-Cost Medical Treatment and the National Health Insurance Plan. Either of their claims is a lie. Here in this column, I would like to explain the Livelihood Protection Service.
A NARRATIVE ‘PREFFERENCE FOR FOREIGN RESIDENTS’ IS A LIE
Article 1 of the Livelihood Protection Service Act
Article 1 provides that ‘on the basis of principle prescribed in Article 25 of the Constitution of Japan, the purpose of this Act lies in a rule that ‘the state’s government has obligations for all people in need ……’ and advocates the idea to assure the right to survive specified in the said article of the Constitution.
The First Clause of Article 25 says that ‘all people have the right to lead a healthy, cultural and minimally secured livelihood’. Definition of ‘all people’ is regarded to be related to nationality. The Japanese governments have long excluded foreigners as beneficiaries on account of nationality, and stubbornly and severely restricted to extend the service to foreign residents, which is far from preference.
Exceptions among foreigners
The Japanese governments set two categories for foreigners, which are permanent residents and long-term residents: both of them live in the country legally and are not imposed regulations on their activities. These residents have been given a position to enjoy the Livelihood Protection Service (not as the right but a specific application of the law).
Beneficiaries of the above-mentioned legal definition include Koreans and Taiwanese residing in the country, those who come from the areas historically colonized by Japan and their family members. Later, Taiwanese are referred as Chinese.
In addition to this, immigrant workers from South America, such as Brazil, who are Japanese descents, and their families, and people with the Filipino nationality who divorced a Japanese spouse have a status of being beneficiaries. But foreign students, technical interns and Kurds who apply for a refugee status, cannot be beneficiaries of this service even if they become ill and have no incomes, struggling for survival.
Even Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare denies favorable treatment
Minister Fukuoka Takamaro mentioned in the press meeting held July 15, referring to the lies on SNS, that ‘the government does not give preferential treatment to foreigners.’
According to the Ministry’s data, in the fiscal 2012, the number of foreign families which received welfare counted 44,204, and in the fiscal 2023, the number was 45,973, an increase by 4% during these 11 years, counting 1,769 households. An entire growth rate of the recipients accounts 6%. The rate for foreign households is not high.
The Asahi Shinbun newspaper reported the results of 2020 national census, showing breakdowns of recipients per nationality: beneficiaries of Koreans count 29,000 families, 5,700 for Chinese, 5,100 for Filipinos, and 1,700 for Brazilians.
Extend services further among foreigners
The Sansei-to Party raises a slogan ‘Japanese first’, stirring up chauvinism, and incites discrimination against foreigners. The government of Japan should ‘treat all people as human beings’ if they live a hard life by revising relevant laws so that foreigners could be recipients of protection service.
参院選では、参政党を中心に「外国人が優遇されている」とする言説が出回った。生活保護や高額療養費制度、国民健康保険である。いずれもデマであるが、生活保護制度の現実を紹介する。
生活保護法第１条
生活保護法第１条は、「この法律の目的は、日本国憲法第25条に規定する理念に基き、国が生活に困窮するすべての国民に対し、…を目的とする」とし、憲法25条の生存権保障の理念に立っている。
憲法25条第１ 項は、「すべての国民は、健康で文化的な最低限度の生活を営む権利を有する」としている。この「すべての国民」という規定は、国籍条項とされる。日本政府は、この国籍条項を盾に長年、外国人を生活保護適用の対象とせず、優遇するどころか、頑なに適用を厳しく制限してきた。
外国人でも例外が
政府は、外国人でも適法に日本に滞在し、活動に制限を受けない「永住者」、「定住者」等の在留資格を有する人には、生活保護を準用する（権利としては認めない）としてきた。
対象者は、在日朝鮮人と台湾人で、いずれも日本の植民地だった地域の出身者とその家族だ。その後、台湾は中国として扱われている。
また、ブラジルなど南米の日系人の出稼ぎ労働者とその家族や、日本人配偶者と離婚したフィリピン籍の人も対象となっている。しかし、留学生や技能実習生で病気などのため収入がなくなった人や、難民申請しているクルド人など、生活に困窮している外国人に生活保護は適用されていない。
厚労相も優遇否定
福岡資麿厚相は７月15日の記者会見で、ＳＮＳ上のデマについて「外国人を優先していることはない」と述べた。
厚労省のデータでは、生活保護を受給している外国籍の世帯数は、２０１２年度４万４２０４世帯、23年度４万５９７３世帯で11年間に１７６９世帯増え、４％増だった。生活保護受給世帯全体は６％増であり、外国籍の世帯の受給率は高くなっていない。 また朝日新聞は、20年国勢調査の結果を使った国籍別受給世帯の内訳で、韓国・朝鮮籍が２万９０００世帯、中国５７００世帯、フィリピン５１００世帯、ブラジル１７００世帯と報じている。
外国人への拡大を
参政党の主張する「日本人ファースト」や排外主義で外国人差別を助長するのでなく、政府は外国人が生活に困窮した場合は「人間として扱い」、生活保護を適用できるように法改正すべきである。
英訳版↓
No. 1414 Foreign Residents and Livelihood Protection
During the election campaign period in mid-July for the House of Councilors a narrative that ‘foreigners enjoy preferential treatment’ was heard loudly, especially voiced from candidates of the Sansei-to political party. They criticized practices, referring to the Livelihood Protection Service, the Assistance Program for High-Cost Medical Treatment and the National Health Insurance Plan. Either of their claims is a lie. Here in this column, I would like to explain the Livelihood Protection Service.
A NARRATIVE ‘PREFFERENCE FOR FOREIGN RESIDENTS’ IS A LIE
Article 1 of the Livelihood Protection Service Act
Article 1 provides that ‘on the basis of principle prescribed in Article 25 of the Constitution of Japan, the purpose of this Act lies in a rule that ‘the state’s government has obligations for all people in need ……’ and advocates the idea to assure the right to survive specified in the said article of the Constitution.
The First Clause of Article 25 says that ‘all people have the right to lead a healthy, cultural and minimally secured livelihood’. Definition of ‘all people’ is regarded to be related to nationality. The Japanese governments have long excluded foreigners as beneficiaries on account of nationality, and stubbornly and severely restricted to extend the service to foreign residents, which is far from preference.
Exceptions among foreigners
The Japanese governments set two categories for foreigners, which are permanent residents and long-term residents: both of them live in the country legally and are not imposed regulations on their activities. These residents have been given a position to enjoy the Livelihood Protection Service (not as the right but a specific application of the law).
Beneficiaries of the above-mentioned legal definition include Koreans and Taiwanese residing in the country, those who come from the areas historically colonized by Japan and their family members. Later, Taiwanese are referred as Chinese.
In addition to this, immigrant workers from South America, such as Brazil, who are Japanese descents, and their families, and people with the Filipino nationality who divorced a Japanese spouse have a status of being beneficiaries. But foreign students, technical interns and Kurds who apply for a refugee status, cannot be beneficiaries of this service even if they become ill and have no incomes, struggling for survival.
Even Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare denies favorable treatment
Minister Fukuoka Takamaro mentioned in the press meeting held July 15, referring to the lies on SNS, that ‘the government does not give preferential treatment to foreigners.’
According to the Ministry’s data, in the fiscal 2012, the number of foreign families which received welfare counted 44,204, and in the fiscal 2023, the number was 45,973, an increase by 4% during these 11 years, counting 1,769 households. An entire growth rate of the recipients accounts 6%. The rate for foreign households is not high.
The Asahi Shinbun newspaper reported the results of 2020 national census, showing breakdowns of recipients per nationality: beneficiaries of Koreans count 29,000 families, 5,700 for Chinese, 5,100 for Filipinos, and 1,700 for Brazilians.
Extend services further among foreigners
The Sansei-to Party raises a slogan ‘Japanese first’, stirring up chauvinism, and incites discrimination against foreigners. The government of Japan should ‘treat all people as human beings’ if they live a hard life by revising relevant laws so that foreigners could be recipients of protection service.
August 13, 2025