Filipino family told to set departure date by March 9 or be deported

Friday 27th February, 11:07 AM JST

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kwatt at 06:10 PM JST - 27th February

There are only 2 choices left as they lose it anyway "lose big or lose little". 13 year old girl stays with trustworthy guardian (their lawyer) without her parents or all leave Japan for Philippine. I think she had better choose to stay in Japan for better future and her parents could survive home and come again 5 years later. If all go back, maybe worse future for her.
Ah_so at 06:23 PM JST - 27th February

It's a basic human right to enter a country on a false passport, work illegally and then be allowed to stay.

Japan has statute of limitations on crime in Japan. Commit the crime, don't get caught for 15 years and you can get away with it. That is the law. If the country is so keen to let murderers get away with it, why can't some leniency be shown to visa over-stayers.

Japan has a second-rate, inflexible legal system and reform is hardly helped by, "the law is the law" mob who feel that law is in itself justification for injustice.

And surely Visa over-staying is a civil rather than criminal matter in Japan, so while the parents may not be in line with the law, it does not make them criminals.

Perhaps many of the non-Japanese on this board supporting the J-Govt have their frame of reference more framed by mass illegal Mexican immigration into the US rather than the minor issue of Visa over-stayers in Japan.
Maff at 06:28 PM JST - 27th February

I feel for the girl, but it's her parents' fault. They've shown nothing but disregard for Japan's laws ever since they arrived with passports that weren't their own. They're damned lucky they aren't being punished more severely. They should be grateful they're only getting deported.
bobcatfish at 07:37 PM JST - 27th February

ahso - you seem to be missing the big picture. half the planet would benefit from illegally entering a more prosperous country. how could you justify turning everyone else away.
rafraf128 at 08:11 PM JST - 27th February

i feel that the parents are using their daughter for them to be　granted special permit to stay ( it's a shame that they aren't able to get what they expected to get but more shameful if they keep on pushing and in so doing making their illegal stay, fake identities etc. etc. reavealed to the public.If i were them, i would humbly obey ang go back to my country, and thanks the authorities for somehow, they were given a fair chance to stay even for a little while instead of locking them behind bars as what usually takes place when an over-staying foreigner surrenders.
donpolski at 08:48 PM JST - 27th February

Japan's a great place to hang out, but I'd imagine if you get on the wrong side of the law it's terrible. To me it's like a socially contracted police state, where the police have untold power and the people agree to it on the proviso it's not abused. As long as you stay out of trouble it's a relatively free society. If you enter the country on an illegal passport you're doomed, there is no way in the world Japanese society will tolerate it. Even if it is only to discourage others. Even the most liberal countries in the world wouldn't tolerate it. Although, alot would allow the daughter to stay. But then again, I wouldn't leave my 13 year old daughter alone in a country packed with lecherous salarymen!
timeon at 11:22 PM JST - 27th February

donpolski, speaking of lecherous salarymen, I'm very curious what was the mother's occupation, as an illegal resident near Warabi? :)
Dubya at 01:41 AM JST - 28th February

"And surely Visa over-staying is a civil rather than criminal matter in Japan, so while the parents may not be in line with the law, it does not make them criminals."

OH YES IT DOES MAKE THEM CRIMINALS. The parents did not simply overstay; they knowingly entered Japan using other people's passports fraudulently. (They are not "undocumented"). So, the actual entry was a crime and every single day they stay here they are continuing to commit a crime; these are both serious crimes. Hence, they are indeed CRIMINALS. They should do some prison time here, then deported in chains.
OssanAmerica at 01:51 AM JST - 28th February

Perhaps many of the non-Japanese on this board supporting the J-Govt >have their frame of reference more framed by mass illegal Mexican >immigration into the US rather than the minor issue of Visa over-stayers >in Japan.

Except that the parents aren't visa over-stayers. "Noriko was born in Japan in 1995 after her parents entered the country in the early 1990s on different people’s passports."
LoveUSA at 02:03 AM JST - 28th February

I am extremely sad for this family. But maybe it is for the best for them leave Japan. It is not worth to stay in a hostile environment.
dreamdrifter at 02:08 AM JST - 28th February

AS much as it would be nice if they are all allowed to stay, it wouldn't be fair on other illegals who get deported.

It would be good to have a time limit for illegal immigrants, over which the illegals can lawfully apply for permanent residence. They may have entered here illegally, but they've been here for more than 15 years..
dreamdrifter at 02:10 AM JST - 28th February

(That's not to say that they shouldn't be punished for their crime. Do prison time, pay a fine, whatever, but allow them to apply for residency simply on the merits of having been here for such a long time. )
70x4060d at 08:18 AM JST - 28th February

Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.
ptolemy at 05:00 PM JST - 28th February

...rather than the minor issue of Visa over-stayers in Japan.

This being Japan though, it appears it is "no minor issue" to the legal system here. Also I fail to see the logic in arguing from the point that because the problem is smaller in Japan than in the USA it is some how less illegal. Again, the laws in Japan are written to be enforced in Japan not in other nations. Other countries must enforce their own laws. Finally the fact it is a civil and not a criminal offense also fails to see the fact a LAW WAS STILL BROKEN. The punishment for breaking this law is deportation.
The parents had their day in court, appeals, and have lost. Now they must say "sayonara" and go back from where they came from. Sorry, but there is no justification for INTENTIONALLY breaking the law. Civil laws or criminal laws.
pointofview at 09:31 AM JST - 3rd March

Such silliness. If Japan would open its doors a little wider to the outside world they probably wouldnt be dealing with all these illegal visa and passport issues...Cant give any opportunities to others now can we?