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Paper short abstract:

Japan's 2019 reform in immigration policy is surprising in speed and scope. This paper analyzes the policy processes of the reform in comparison to earlier periods of intensive debate around 1990 and 2005. It discusses the changes in ideas, actors and institutional setting in immigration policy.

Paper long abstract:

Japan's 2019 reform in immigration policy and introduction of a guest worker program for non-highly skilled foreign workers is surprising in speed and scope. Since the late 1980s, Japan has new immigration movements. This transformation into an immigration country has led to intensive political and public debates, especially around 1990 and 2005. However, in contrast to a number of far-reaching reform proposals, immigration policy was marked by endless discussions and very limited reform. Due to ideational and institutional fragmentation, immigration policy was another prime example for an immobilist policy field. However, then in 2018 in a few months a comprehensive immigration reform was pushed through, in which the main principle in official immigration policy of accepting only highly qualified foreign workers was suddenly discharged. This paper will analyze comparatively the policy processes of the 2019 reform with to the two earlier periods of intensive debate on immigration around 1990 and 2005. It will discuss the changes in ideas, actors and institutional settings of immigration policy and explain how an immobilist policy field was transformed into a hotbed of dynamic reform.