Various disturbances have arisen over the Kurds residing in Kawaguchi City, drawing both positive and negative reactions. There have been serious incidents, such as demonstrations calling for the expulsion of the Kurds due to growing friction with local residents. However, outsiders who do not live in Kawaguchi City do not really understand what is actually going on. In my case, I feel like I have learned about the situation through the newspapers. However, each newspaper has a completely different perspective, which is interesting in a way.
For example, the Tokyo Shimbun newspaper takes the side of the Kurds residing in the city and criticizes the Japanese protests for including hate speech. It is concerned that, while the number of crimes in Kawaguchi City is on the decline, there are many posts on social media that give the impression that crimes committed by Kurds are occurring frequently.
The Sankei Shimbun newspaper has conducted on-site reporting in Turkey and pointed out the low eligibility of the Kurds as refugees. It has revealed that the Kurds are not refugees but are staying in Japan as migrant workers, and are abusing the refugee recognition system to extend their stay. In short, they are staying illegally.
Both reports have their merits, but I was impressed by how different the views can be. One is the idea that we should cooperate because they are in Japan for whatever reason, while the other is that if there is illegality, we should deal with it strictly. It is up to the people to decide which way Japanese society will lean.
I believe that the issue surrounding the Kurds will be a litmus test of whether Japan will actively accept immigrants or not.
Japan, which entered a declining population society before the rest of the world, is likely to have an increasingly serious labor shortage in the future. Of course, we will cover this by promoting digital transformation and making good use of advanced technologies such as AI and robots, but discussions about immigration will definitely be on the table.
I personally expect that they will be accepted reluctantly and gradually, but there will be no end to opinions for and against. (Kitajima Kei)

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