It has been learned that the government's travel support using commercial aircraft for people evacuating from Ukraine to Japan will end this month. From next month, a new system will be launched to protect people who have fled conflicts, such as Ukrainian refugees, in the same way as refugees, and the Immigration Services Agency says that it will focus on settlement support in the future.
As an emergency response immediately after the invasion of Ukraine, the government has been providing travel assistance once a week since April last year by renting seats on commercial airlines heading from Poland to Japan and paying the fee on behalf of evacuees.
So far, more than 4 people have come to Japan using this travel support, but we learned from interviews with those involved that it will end at the end of this month.
In the background, a new system called "complementary protection" will start next month with Ukrainian refugees in mind.
This system, which was created by the revision of the Immigration Control Act, protects people who have fled conflicts in the same way as refugees, and if it is recognized as eligible,
▽ In addition to being granted the status of residence of "long-term resident" in the same way as in the case of refugees,
▽ There are also programs such as Japanese education and employment support.
The emphasis is on resettlement assistance, not travel assistance.
In addition, the number of users has recently decreased to about one per flight, and it seems that the situation has changed since the beginning of the support.
The Immigration Services Agency says that it will focus on supporting people who have fled Ukraine under the new system.