U.S. downgrades rating of Japan's efforts against human trafficking

authorities failed to identify "a single trafficking case" in connection with foreigners working under the country's technical intern program "despite persistent reports of forced labor."

says it all really, vested interests in Japan are reliant on forced labour to make any profit due to the business model they use. Government support this as those same businesses support the LDP. As for Policing the Ministry of Health Labour and Industry are in the pockets of those who they should be investigating, and are certainly not encouraged to peruse this line of enquirey.

I am curious: how does one report a case of forced labor? I wouldn't know. The article implies that, telling the Japanese Gov. is not a viable option. Such info would be helpful...

These days, I don't really give much credence to US pronouncements on how the rest of the world is failing its self declared benchmarks.

Is USA in Tier 3?

Japan has introduced the program in the name of transferring skills to developing countries. Interns sent to Japan have helped to fill serious labor shortages in the graying country that has taken a cautious stance on immigration.

But critics say there are suspected abuses of such workers, including unpaid wages and illegal overwork.

The original purpose of the tech intern program has been largely altered or obsolete. It has allowed for backdoor immigration entry and exploitation. Better overhaul and replace it with a regular working visa program.

Say who?US?

US have so many troubles in her home and still want to play the cop.

US should face ban for her treatment of minorities.and racism.

Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

US - stop playing world cop for a moment. Start dealing with your own perennial problems at home first.

Human trafficking is a major problem in Japan, especially with the forced prostitution of underaged girls in Kabukicho and Roppongi.

I personally know a victim, even when she went to police, the police appear to be in bed with the perpetrators and send her back.

Look no further than the Roppongi Nishi Azabu membership only clubs, which are not only venues of underaged prostitution but major drug trading venues. These are pretty common knowledge.

You have companies like this operating in Kabukicho unchecked by police as well

https://www.courmayeur.jp/scout-hunting/#toc4

Does the USA have the credibility to make any kind of pronouncements anymore?

I like the attacks on the US. Commenters are not addressing the problem the US raised, just saying, like most five-year-olds, “Oh Yeah! You too!”

Now, the US has a lot of problems and being world cop is one. Japan should take up that role. But is Japan five years old? Can Japan take criticism? Evidently not.

thierryla29 Today 12:02 pm JST

Does the USA have the credibility to make any kind of pronouncements anymore?

This, and the other comments along this vein, are ad hominem attacks, i.e.., a personal attack on an opponent's character rather than providing valid commentary on the topic.

If you attacked the standards that the State Department uses as a measure, and showed that they were inadequate, you might be able to make a point. But simply delcaring that the US has no right to have standards or apply those standards to other coutnries is utter nonsense.

It is a fact that Japan has a poor human rights record, particularly in regard to the trainee program.

The story is about Japan not America! Defect, Denile, Shogani.

It's hard to take anything produced by the US State Department seriously anymore. All of America's bitter rivals are listed at the very bottom Tier 3 (Venezuela, Cuba, Iran, Syria, China, Russia, North Korea), while strategic US allies with appaling levels of human trafficking and migrant worker abuse are ranked highly. The report expects you to believe that conditions in Saudi Arabia are equal to those in Ireland, and that Qatar is equal to Denmark. I hope nobody here is this naive.

Libya and its open air slave markets don't even get ranked. The entire country is listed separately as a "Special Case". I imagine this has something to do with avoiding the embarrassing consequences of the US led Libyan intervention.

The so called "technical intern program" is nothing but a fancy name to cover up Forced Labor. the majority of the workers come from very poor areas, get paid very low wages and in many cases do not get paid at all under the umbrella of training, they are not allowed to have Cellular phones, they can't even get one if they wanted, they can't mix with the general population, No Dating, No partying, and No driving Licenses. once a week they are allowed to go grocery shopping. I once met a group of Chinese ladies who informed me of all the restrictions.

Until 2016, the U.S. retained a reservoir of respect in the world, and its public pronouncements still carried some weight. Since the regime of incompetent liars took over, all legitimacy of comments regarding the affairs of other countries has been lost. Empty words from a moral vacuum.

"GS9 and above live great!"

I also felt much safer when I lived on base, Bases have very low crime as compared to living off base. And crazy crime you see here hardly ever exist on base. The base police are very PRE-and PRO Crime oriented. If someone is even looking like they are bothering you, they are swiftly dealt with. Their were some Japanese contractors coming on base with bad attitudes, in one case and their contract was canceled.

Is the Japanese government separating immigrant families, caging children and expelling their parents?

Dunno about caging the children, but yes, the government does separate immigrant families and expel their parents.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/08/26/national/members-12-vietnamese-families-separated-following-deportations-illegal-residents-japan/

This story is about Japan, no?

@girl_in_tokyo

This, and the other comments along this vein, are ad hominem attacks, i.e.., a personal attack on an opponent's character rather than providing valid commentary on the topic.

The US is by definition not a “person”, you can’t attack the US’s “character” (taken in the sense of a human personality). All such criticisms are indeed precisely about its policies and actions as a country. So, fair game!

@Michael Machida

This story is about Japan, no?

If a known schoolyard bully points to a random kid to make some accusation, will you blindly follow the finger and say “oh yeah!! Attack him!” ??

The US has concentration camps for refugees from Southern American climate-induced crop failures that migrated north to get better jobs but fell victim to internal US politics. Concentration camps. So when such a country points to another to accuse its human rights record, do you blindly follow the finger? Can the person pointing have any credibility to make such pronouncements?

So no, when an article describes the US accusing other countries of failing human rights, the issue is really about the US. Why is it doing this now? Deflection? Distraction? The elephant in the room can not be ignored.

@Cricky

The story is about Japan not America! Defect, Denile, Shogani.

When the accuser is America then YES the article is about America!

Who cares what a morally corrupt country has to say about.... anything?

I wonder if the US is trying to embarrass Japan into buying their weapons system.

@M3M3M3

The report expects you to believe that conditions in Saudi Arabia are equal to those in Ireland, and that Qatar is equal to Denmark.

No it did not. The grading concern the politics in place to fight against human trafficking not the level of it. So potentially a country with higher level of human trafficking but more active/effective/positive action to fight it, according to criteria for the report, can have higher rank than a country with low level of trafficking which is not seen, according to criteria, as doing enough against it. Your example of Saudi Arabia and Ireland perfectly illustrate that.

Good read, there is only 570 pages :

https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2020-TIP-Report-Complete-062420-FINAL.pdf

@Velius

Before claiming that attack against USA are not purely ad hominem, you should perhaps try by not doing it yourself :

a morally corrupt country

Having worked with and known many migrant workers here in Japan, I can certainly understand the problem. Much of what goes on is not reported and very few are being "monitored" as the system "relies" on "reports" and not on regular and systemic "inspections" and "reviews". However, the problem appears not to be due to Japanese owned and run firms as much as those run by foreigners that run their companies often designated as "branch" operation of a company in their own country, bringing or hiring their own personnel from local foreign worker pools both legal and illegal established just for such businesses.

It will be interesting if Japan will run a thorough investigation into all foreign operations and workers.

Yes, because the US doesn't have human trafficking at all right?

If a country is to be judged, let it be by an independent group.

Judge not lest ye be judged.

BTW, I'm not denying that Japan doesn't have its problems.

The US : The United States has downgraded its assessment of Japan's efforts to meet minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking, citing concerns over the abuse of labor migrants working in the country.

Me (while holding up historic books about stealing Africans from their home, making them slaves to work in America under harsh treatments, no pay, unfair treatment and many other things) : Seriously? You wanna talk about Japan not doing much to stop human trafficking?