Foreign crime in Japan

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1 Foreign crime in Japan
2 See also
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Foreign crime in Japan

Japan's crime rate is one of the world's lowest at 1,776 reported crimes per 100,000 people in 2005, according to the latest government statistics. The number of crimes among Japan's 2 million foreign residents in 2005 was 2,380 per 100,000.^[1]

Offenses by foreigners rose to a record high of 47,865 in 2005, from 47,128 a year earlier and 40,615 in 2003, according to police statistics. The number of non-Japanese arrested is also rising, to 21,178 in 2005 from 20,007 two years earlier. The statistics don't break out visa-related offenses, which in 2003 accounted for 46 percent of crimes committed by foreigners. By their nature such breaches can't be committed by Japanese citizens. ^[1]

Japan's overall crime rate in 2003 was 2,185 per 100,000 and 2,120 among foreigners. Excluding visa offences, the rate was 1,570 per 100,000 foreigners. ^[1]

The latest survey on public safety by Japan's Cabinet Office, published in 2005, found that 87 percent of people thought safety in Japan had declined in the previous decade, with over 50 percent of them blaming the problem on illegal immigrants. ^[1]

Crimes committed by foreigners in Japan are often cited by right-wing groups and politicians to justify demands for tighter immigration policies. ^[1]

In an interview with Bloomberg News, Tokyo in reaction to the controversial mook, Gaijin hanzai ura file, Governor Shintaro Ishihara said that foreigners are to blame for the perception the capital is becoming more dangerous. Roppongi, a district famous for its bars and nightclubs, is ``now virtually a foreign neighborhood. Africans -- I don't mean African Americans -- who don't speak English are there doing who knows what". Ishihara also said "Japan needs a more comprehensive immigration policy to prevent low-skilled workers or criminals from entering the country." "This is not a question of procuring a labor supply," he said. "We should be letting in more people who are intelligent." ^[1]