The Supreme Court Welfare Ruling and Citizenship

welfare, emergency relief, allowance, social security, emergency, unemployment benefit, subsidy, grants & benefits
In this ruling, "welfare" means the 生活保護 {seikatsu hogo} (livelihood protection),
not any other "social service" like (un)employment insurance (雇用保険 {koyō hoken}).
A recent ruling by the Japanese Supreme Court that denied the right to receive welfare payments to a Chinese permanent resident in Oita Prefecture as reported in the Japan Times, has created a stir among the foreign residents of Japan. Many argue that receiving public assistance and participating in government programs should be a taxpayer right.

For some, this move by the court may serve as an example of an advantage for naturalizing, while for others it is a symbol of the battle non-citizens face in being counted fairly in society.

In any country a lack of citizenship creates vulnerabilities. In the United States, non-citizens became more susceptible to deportation following changes in the law and the inception of the Department of Homeland Security.

Those interested in gaining Japanese citizenship undertake the journey in order to fully participate in all aspects of society, something not easily done with permanent residence or a multi-year visa.

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