JCIE has launched a one-year project to provide Sustainable Aid Systems for Foreign Residents in Japan (SAFOR). The initiative is being carried out jointly with the nonprofit organization Japan Platform (JPF), which works to provide humanitarian assistance both in Japan and abroad. The goal of the project is to prevent foreign residents in Japan from becoming isolated from society and unable to pursue work, education, social security, etc, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This effort is a follow-up to our previous initiative, Humanitarian Aid for Marginalized Immigrants (HAMIS), which combined emergency humanitarian assistance and support infrastructure building. Although the HAMIS project delivered assistance to approximately 16,000 people, hundreds of thousands of foreign residents in Japan are still unable to receive public assistance due to unstable residency associated with difficulties in returning to their home countries and difficulty in obtaining information due to language barriers. Additionally, amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the safety net function of foreign communities and support groups, which have supported mutual aid and assistance to fill the gaps in public support, has declined overall.

In light of these circumstances, JCIE will work with JPF to provide ongoing humanitarian assistance to foreign residents in need, as well as support organizations that encourage foreign residents’ self-reliance through such activities as livelihood training and skill acquisition training, which allow residents to achieve more stability and security in life and employment. JCIE will also support activities that contribute to the improvement of foreign resident support systems through the establishment of a fundraising system by foreign communities, supporters, and support groups that have been responsible for mutual aid and assistance, and the systematization of project operations through collaboration between related organizations.