Filipino family cannot stay together in Japan, Justice Ministry decides

Friday 13th February, 01:31 PM JST

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rafraf128 at 09:13 PM JST - 14th February

I know Noriko's parents would find it hard to get good jobs when they go back to the philippines,not unless they have enough amount to start a business with, but law has to prevail.When they used other peoples' name when they entered japan, at least they know the consequence they're gonna be dealing with ( i don't believe they don't).
mikihouse at 10:09 AM JST - 15th February

send them home, the girl can apply for scholarship and get into japanese university even post graduate degree. Its not the end of the world. For her parents? they are selfish people who used their daughter for their purpose. They have been here for more than a decade and should have known that they will be deported anytime and should have saved. No sympathy for them. And for the daughter? drop your act. I did not know I am a Filipino...duh your family name was never a Kanji so drop the show. Nobody is watching anymore
Meehh at 04:59 PM JST - 15th February

I just can't understand how come a daughter of both Filipinos did not learn Tagalog at all :p. I'm ONLY half Filipino but besides Japanese my mom made sure that me and my brother both know Tagalog and Bisayan dialect. And how can she choose to be separated from her family just so she can continue to live here? ain't family more important than being with friends or even being in her so called "the only place I know"? after all she's only 13, a difficult age to be separated from her parents. I wish her parents would think of her safety first before the hope of them getting a visa through her.
archiebald at 11:00 AM JST - 16th February

HotBox08,

Since Noriko is born in Japan, but her parents are both Filipinos, doesn't that entitle her to have passports in both Japan and the Philipines? So, why can't she go with her parents, if they get deported to the Philipines? Yes, Japan may be all the life she has known, but at least they will be together.

As far as I know, no child born in Japan where both parents are foreign automatically gets a Japanese passport.
TokyoHustla at 07:20 AM JST - 17th February

This is the correct decision under the law, almost. Noriko should be deported as well, as she is also in Japan illegally. Cry me a river about language or cultural skills. She is from Philippine parentage and was not born legally in Japan. Her parents are wrong, not the Japanese government.
greensatindress at 08:05 PM JST - 17th February

It's a blessing in disguise for Noriko! Go learn some English in the Philippines and then comeback to Japan for college / university education.

I totally agree.
kattenishiro7 at 08:09 PM JST - 17th February

i agree with jaycee
boitoi at 10:19 AM JST - 18th February

noriko chan, the best thing that you can do is to go back to the philippines and continue your studies there. if you really want to live in japan with your family, please do it legally. for now, although you may think that japan is safer for you to live than in the philippines. think twice girl. your family is not registered legally here in japan, so all the necessary privileges and protection the government has to foreign imigrants will not be given to your family. as for living in the philippines, i think its not that hard, there are japanese schools, learning centers, jdorama, jfoods, jpop, jsongs, anime, manga, jfriends. besides, your parents are living and working in japan for nearly 20 years, i think they have enough money to raise you there. good luck and best wishes. ganbattene!
Yelnats at 02:45 PM JST - 18th February

I would assume the girl has great command of Japanese and it will be a breeze for her to come back to attend college. She has finished all the basic Kanji and now will just have to keep a good dictionary around and read like crazy to build up all the other kanji.
Ah_so at 08:36 AM JST - 19th February

How many laws can you break? Other people's passports. Sorry folks, you had my sympathy until I read that. So this is not just a case of illegal residence (overstaying visas/no visas, etc.) The parents should never have got out of the Philippines on these documents.

Yet this country until recently had a 15 year statute of limitation on murder, and yet this family has been here for 15 years on visa crimes. Is there no statute of limitation for a visa crime?

Reading the comments above, I can often see a rather callous theme of the "You broke the law, now go home" variety, where it clearly hurt no one for them to come here, and there being here has hurt no one, as far as I can tell. Why "must" the go home? There are reasons to grant exceptions.

The Rights of the Child Act in my view have enough provision for the child to argue that she could remain in Japan and also remain with her parents. The parents would not remain on their own right, but purely as the parents of Noriko. Rights to remain would expire when she reaches 18. Of course, this law would have to override the childish immigration laws, but that is the job of judges to make precedent and make common sense out of the ragbag of conflicting laws in front of them.
plumcrzytoo at 02:20 PM JST - 19th February

Some posters here are saying "they are hurting no one" excuse me? Tell that to the two legal residents or Japanese people that don't have those two jobs. Now multiply that by how ever many illegals are living in Japan taking jobs that legal residents or Japanese should rightfully have. I have absolutely no sympathy for them at all. That is not being callous that is being realistic. Put yourself in someone else's place.....you apply for a job, don't get it, then find out the person that got it is here illegally..what would you do? The girl (as most have said already has a awesome, bright future ahead of her if she chooses to use the head start she has been given. She will know Japanese, Tagalog, and English. And some need to re-read the article, they did say she may be granted permission to stay. Even though it may be just her. If she wants to stay that bad, I am almost positive, that any very close friends of her and her family would invite her to stay with them until she finishes school.
Altria at 02:23 PM JST - 19th February

Put yourself in someone else's place.....you apply for a job, don't get it, then find out the person that got it is here illegally..what would you do?

Hang my head in shame that I suck so badly I lost out to someone who can barely speak the language.
plumcrzytoo at 07:37 PM JST - 19th February

Altria, grow up. Or maybe as in most cases I have seen, will work for less money than someone who is here legally. Besides your comment has nothing to do with the topic. And "barely speak the language" your crystal ball tell you how well some other foreigner speaks Japanese? These illegals STEAL jobs because they will work for less money, no medical insurance, and no bonuses. This family can't care too much for their daughter because as was mentioned earlier, the don't and can not get any protection, or help that a normal legal immigrant is afforded. What if she became deathly ill? What then? The article says she was born and raised here. That means they have been here over 13 years right? I would hope their Japanese would be pretty damn good, considering the fact that their little girl would need help with homework and studies as she is going through school. A Kumon only does so much. As I said she will most likely be granted a special visa to stay. So it will be a family decision, is she grown up enough to stay here alone? (with friends of course) Or would it be a better choice to stay with her family and come back later and possibly go to college here, if she choose to do so?
Hotbox08 at 12:11 PM JST - 27th February

Spot on plumcrzytoo! I totally agree. Although it seems like a sad story, the law is the law. Too many illegals end up "stealing" jobs that would rightfully belong to others who are here legally. The same problem faces other countries like the U.S. Too many illegals willing to take jobs at cheaper wages.
raju99 at 09:37 PM JST - 5th March

i read all views of the people .iam realy sad to read . who think japan Govt is right . but i know better cox i saw the real story by my self . first i want to tell u a decsion of last year . in which the japan Govt give the special permit of the same case . and same country . i iam not able to understand y this is not granted the special permission of stay . this country show . japan is accept refugee and respect the human being , but in real its not . i want to tell u in 1942 . japanese people were also overstay in different countries.like brazile. etc, now japan is rich country , the people want to work here specially the poor country people. we must respect the human being . its true the family were living illlegle, but y they will not appear befor immigration . the answer is very easy , cox they know they will be deported.if u see the world like usa. and united kingdom . there r so many people are still living illlegaly. i have no words to explain my words . how i shocked. to listen the decesion against this family . but iam sure . God will help them in future Good Luck...