Ibaraki Prefecture plans to offer around 10,000 yen rewards for reports leading to arrests of businesses hiring illegal foreign workers, starting fiscal 2026, amid controversy over potential discrimination. The prefecture, which recorded the highest number of such cases for four straight years, insists the measure targets illegal employment. Critics including the local bar association warn it could foster suspicion and divisions.
Ibaraki Prefecture, located northeast of Tokyo, will launch a reward system in fiscal 2026 paying around 10,000 yen for tips on businesses hiring illegal foreign workers if they lead to arrests. Authorities verify reports before notifying police of employers, aiming to curb illegal practices after four consecutive years of topping national detections.
Governor Kazuhiko Oigawa stated at a press conference, "It is totally different from the exclusion of foreigners. Building a society that does not hire, allow the hiring of, or tolerate illegally employed workers is a necessary condition for foreigners to be active participants (in the community)." He added, "I will continue explaining the aim of and need for this system to gain public understanding."
The Ibaraki bar association urged immediate withdrawal in a March statement: "It will make citizens view foreign workers with suspicion, reinforce unfair prejudices against people with different backgrounds, and cause discrimination and divisions." Groups supporting foreigners at Ushiku detention center, the pro-Seoul Korean Residents Union in Japan (Mindan), and others have called for retraction.
Driven by labor shortages from rapid aging, Japan has eased immigration policies. In Ibaraki, 3,452 illegal workers were found in 2024, 75% in agriculture, with foreign residents nearly doubling to over 106,000.
