Sri Lanka trainee takes maternity leave, gives birth in Japan

I often wonder what sort of conditions people have in their own country, that makes working in a factory in Japan a preferable option.

as for sending the child "home"..... since Mum and Dad are here.....

If ever you had a lofty, fluffy, lovey, cutsie idea about what Japan is like...

The child could be sent home soon...

Isn't that sweet?

Wondering why a trainee taking maternity lave is in news. We are in 2022 not 1822.

I often wonder what sort of conditions people have in their own country, that makes working in a factory in Japan a preferable option.

Let me answer that question.

From where I am from, poor people live in houses made of uneven wood planks and cardboards - old abandoned houses in Japan looks more like the house of middle class.

People can live on 50 yen meal, most of the time just rice and anything laden with MSG and table salt. They shower, do their laundry, and take a dump on the streets. If they have a proper toilet seat at home, it will still not be connected to a septic tank - just directly dumping on the streets.

Average poor people salary is 500 yen per day and that's not everyday or regular. That's the maximum they can get if they are lucky to get a job for the day.

For most of them, 160,000 a month is a rich person's salary - something they can only dream of in their country.

"The child could be sent home soon". What a disgusting culture Japan is.

The company plans to grant the woman's request, but since foreign trainees are usually not allowed to bring their families to Japan, her child could be sent home soon.

In the UK if asylum seekers and undocumented individuals have a child, the UK government won't separate them / deport them unless it's an extreme case because you know, it's not ethical. Japan on the other hand, is ready to boot a barely-just-born infant back to Sri Lanka sans his/her parents because notions like "ethics" and "morality" not to mention "compassion" and "sympathy" just don't seem to exist in the Japanese government's vocabulary. Absolutely disgusting. Another shining example of how little Japan thinks of and cares for its non-Japanese population and community.

Japan, like most countries, adopts jus sanguinis, wherein nationality is determined the nationality of the parents, so the child will be Sri Lankan. America adopts jus soli, wherein nationality at birth is determined by place of birth. Had the child been born in America, it likely would have obtained dual nationality. Lucky for the Japanese government the paternity of the child is not in question. Many cases have arisen in which a Japanese father refuses to acknowledge paternity to a child born out of wedlock with a foreigner. This usually does not go well for the latter - and the child. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-nationality-idUKTRE4B41MJ20081205

Considering that Sri Lanka is going through a severe economic crisis right now with shortages of food, fuel, medicines and electricity it is understandable that she wanted to give birth in Japan.

@Rodney

So if she is a “technical intern”, surely she only needs to be in Japan for a week at most. Now she is scabbing off her company, and scabbing off our tax payed health system. And attempting to bypass our immigration policies.

A week at most? Read that article again, she gave birth in March, which implied that she already getting pregnant in June/July, and during June/July 2021 how many new entrants that Japan really accept during that peak of covid?

The party began labor negotiations with the company in October

By October, she can no longer hide that she is pregnant since she already on her 4-5 months of pregnancy.

Beside that do you think, she really can fly to Japan while pregnant 8-9 months in March/February 2022 being approved by airlines and organization that send her as foreign trainee in Japan?

I read on the internet that there is a maternity hospital in Sri Lanka.

Yes, that true, you can also check on the internet that many female foreign trainee being pregnant and giving birth in Japan.

https://www.newsnpr.org/the-heartbreaking-story-of-a-vietnamese-female-trainee-in-japan-who-hid-her-pregnancy-and-abandoned-her-child-because-of-the-oppressive-pressures-few-people-know/

Since she’s a trainee and supposed to take the knowledge and skill back to her home country, just how long do these “internships” last?

People love to go Japan and settle there but same people who wanted to leave their country are mostly against the system of foreign country. Get used to or try settling back home.

Once you obtain Japanese citizenship, you're not any other than Japanese.

Teach me or enlighten us all if possible. Which country if any, treats foreigners equally as her citizens?

First thought from the title was "How is this news?".

Then read "her child could be sent home soon."

Oh yeah, that problem again.

For most of them, 160,000 a month is a rich person's salary - something they can only dream of in their country.

You have obviously never worked alongside with these "trainees" (indentured slaves). They earn every single yen of that money in conditions harder than you've ever had persevere through.

In Japan when intern can keep their baby alive and not being deported during their intern program is considered as improvement. Even they need to send that baby back home.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Japan-immigration/Fear-of-deportation-weighs-on-pregnant-foreign-workers-in-Japan

This news article seems too vague and reported only to stir up Japan-bashers.

First of all, in Japan Technical intern trainees are treated equally with other Japanese labors

https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001349037.pdf

The company plans to grant the woman's request, but since foreign trainees are usually not allowed to bring their families to Japan, her child could be sent home soon.

Seems just a guess of Kyodo.

The labor union pointed out that it is difficult for foreign trainees to live with their children while working in Japan under the current internship program, even if they can take child care leave.

Intern program itself is max 3 years. And yet, she can take maternity leave (6 weeks before expected day plus 8 weeks after that date ) and child care leave too. She can return home country for giving birth and come back to Japan and reenter the program if she wishes so too. Note the program is not for kids at public schools but each business owners and private companies who employ and train them and keep their normal operations going seeking for revenue.

According to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan, in principle, children of foreign trainees are allowed to stay in Japan for only six months. However, the woman will ask the agency to grant an extended stay for her child.

Ok, in principle. She is allowed to keep her baby for 6 months at least and she will ask for extension for her baby granted. So what happened then? Anyone knows?

As elephant200 said, the fact they don’t get any form of Japanese nationality and the child may be returned to Sri Lanka exhibits all the hallmarks of a dwindling population.

Surely, if we don’t have more new citizens or at least encourage parents to have children, with no one paying into the pension system it will eventually collapse.

I would quit to my job if I were in her shoes so I could take care of my baby.

children of foreign trainees are allowed to stay in Japan for only six months.

Seriously ? How can someone design such a rule ? A child should always be allowed to live with their parents. 10 to 12 yr old is really a minimum for distant separation.

That's already cruel how Japanese laws are abusive for children of divorced/separated parents that are cut from half of their relatives. But in this case that's even worse as the baby would be cut from both parents. That can be a real trauma. I hope they allow a longer stay.

Japan also does not recognize dual citizenship's either.

It does up to the age of 20 afaik. There is no reason Japan should deny this child citizenship other than adherence to jus sanguinis. Claiming Japan is extremely harsh in that respect would not be fair, as you point out. However, if it wants to encourage people to come and work here, it needs to find ways to make them want to stay, and a change to this law could be one of them. It could also offer a solution to Japan's population problem, much more efficient and humane than just telling women to have more babies.

There is. It's a very different topic. The child has the parents' nationality, they are NOT asking Japanese nationality for their babies nor themselves. (we don't need discussing other unrelated cases from other articles, do we?)

Good point. I was talking about the issue in general. Not this particular case. However, in countries that do allow citizenship if you were born there, it would be an option. Here, we're talking about whether the baby will be allowed to remain at all with their parents, who are here subject to the exploitative trainee program convenient for the pockets of corporate Japan.

I admit citizenship doesn't appear a part of the discussion and it might not even be what anyone involved wants, but it gets to show just how low the standards of the J immigration system are.

There is no reason Japan should deny this child citizenship

There is. It's a very different topic. The child has the parents' nationality, they are NOT asking Japanese nationality for their babies nor themselves. (we don't need discussing other unrelated cases from other articles, do we?)

It's about allowing kids to live with their "expat" parents during the 3 yrs they are working in Japan, at parents' expenses. There is no reason to not allow the child to stay. Particularly a baby that costs nothing in education.

I've known foreigners that were in Japan as diplomats, foreign company's expats, hired by Japanese company, students and even artists that got visas for short term stay in Japan and were allowed to take their children with them, keep the babies born in Japan with them as long as they stayed. Why not the trainees ? I don't find the double standard acceptable.

Which country if any, treats foreigners equally as her citizens?

Which country has a double standard system like that for the foreign workers with a legal visa ? Dubai, Qatar and a few like that, I guess. North Korea ? Tell me.

if their visa doesn't allow them to have their kid here the best thing for them and us as taxpayers is for them to go back to Sri Lanka.

It's harming a baby to separate from the mother. It's the worst case.

The parents pay tax and insurances. or the employers are supposed to pay. 99% of the trainees are just cheaper and more easily disposable workforce. They are not getting any free lunch. If they stop coming, your taxes will go up quickly to try cover the loss for industry.

For most of them, 160,000 a month is a rich person's salary

It is, there. It's not in Japan. They pay the same price as anyone at the supermarket while in Japan.

Then to get the trainee deal, in most cases, their whole family had to get into big debts (lots of corruption to get their file accepted, then get a passport, then airplane tickets...) so they need to work first to repay that. Only then, they can save in hope to have enough to pay for further university education, or to buy a farm, a shop or to start their company back home. I never met one that did it to get a luxury villa and live idle.

They earn every single yen of that money in conditions harder than you've ever had persevere through.

Absolutely.

Fortunately, Japanese are not as easily duped as over-empathizing, gullible Brits.

No, they're just cold-hearted and and apathetic to the point where they see separating a child from their parents as sound logic. No wonder their birth rate is plummeting and cases of familicide and parricide are making waves in the news. Japan's concept of family and family bonds is skewed to the point of broken. I'd rather side with the "over-empathizing, gullible Brits" and show compassion and empathy than to be a mindless, unthinking, unfeeling robot.

That is not fair, the child should have Japanese nationality since he/she was born in Japan.

Out of something like 193 or so countries in the world, only 33 have birthright citizenship and Japan is not one of them.

Consider as well, with your logic, the child is ONLY Japanese and does not have SriLankan citizenship because they were not born there. Japan also does not recognize dual citizenship's either.

Japanese citizens who have children who are born abroad have to register the birth with the nearest consulate or Embassy to be recognized as Japanese. Japanese as well do not get citizenship based upon their being born here either, and there are plenty of kids here NOW who have never been registered by their parent(s) so in reality they are not Japanese citizens either.

Japanese Government: "Our society needs more babies!"

Sri Lankan couple: "Happy to do our part!"

Japanese Government: "...wait, not that kind of baby..."

Fortunately, Japanese are not as easily duped as over-empathizing, gullible Brits.

Because separating children from their parents because of administrative issues is what creates a healthy society.

This might come across as naive to some, but I think empathy is a good emotion to follow when people's potential to live a happy, healthy life is in question.

As with the many other issues plaguing Japan, it will just get swept under the carpet; "mendokusai"

That is not fair, the child should have Japanese nationality since he/she was born in Japan.

That is not fair, the child should have Japanese nationality since he/she was born in Japan.

I agree, but we all know such a change isn't going to happen given how insecure the Japanese right is about spouses having separate surnames and non-Japanese residents voting, claiming these changes would make Japan "stop stop being Japan". Whoever doesn't fit their narrow definition of "Japaneseness" will be given the bare minimum of rights that the J gov can get away with without completely lose facing on the international stage.

It's a learning process that takes time

True, but I'm not sure Japan is going in that direction at all. The government is run by nationalists and the public is blissfully unaware of any struggles non-Japanese may face as a result of years of feel-good nonsense in the media about how all gaikokujin are happy here and admire Japan's unique culture.

Whenever I mention any discrimination that I or others face, it's met with disbelief, embarrassment, denial or hostility for not knowing my place. But unless they are people who regularly communicate with non-Japanese, it's always news to any Japanese people I talk to. Not an indication things are likely to change with time. The numbers of foreign-born residents are rising, but given how little our voices are heard, I'm not sure how many will bother to listen.

Get used to or try settling back home.

"If you don't like it go back to your country" is hate speech, under Japanese law.

We have lives here and the same needs as Japanese people but not remotely the same rights. Is it like that in other countries too? Yes. Does it have to be like that? I don't think so. The government is more than happy to take our tax money, why should it not serve us the same way it does its own citizens? (Rhetorical question)

The company plans to grant the woman's request, but since foreign trainees are usually not allowed to bring their families to Japan, her child could be sent home soon

The only home the child has known is its birth country, which is Japan. Doing the right thing has almost no meaning here when non-Japanese are involved. Pathetic.

In 2020 in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, a Vietnamese trainee gave birth to stillborn twins and was charged with abandoning the bodies. According to her lawyers, the woman felt she had nowhere to turn to deal with the matter.

She's lucky not to be charged with double murder. She basically killed 2 babies by not going to a hospital.

Having a kid is always a wonderful thing and I wish the new parents the best in the parenthood journey, that said, if their visa doesn't allow them to have their kid here the best thing for them and us as taxpayers is for them to go back to Sri Lanka.

2022 in Japan, well done

The woman, who works for the Tokyo-based Negishi Food Service, the operator of a restaurant chain

back in the day, I did short time work in a factory during school holidays. It took half a day to train me. So if she is a “technical intern”, surely she only needs to be in Japan for a week at most. Now she is scabbing off her company, and scabbing off our tax payed health system. And attempting to bypass our immigration policies.

my friend had a baby recently. It cost around ¥1,500,000. Because we pay tax, will health insurance, she only had to pay 20%.

I read on the internet that there is a maternity hospital in Sri Lanka.