A testimony of ACO Japan about what is happening in our country and the initiatives led by our movement in support of migrants

While foreign workers from diverse backgrounds are employed across Japan and their lives remain unstable, we are acting on our shared desire to support one another as fellow human beings, engaging with each other from our respective positions.

・Case Study of a Hakodate Area Member

I work at a dockyard. Recently, Vietnamese technical trainees have been hired and are working at my workplace. They don't speak Japanese very well, so they work while being scolded. I am trying to communicate with them by learning Vietnamese from them.

I've tried inviting them to gatherings with other trainees from different workplaces at church, but even on days off, they seem so exhausted that it hasn't worked out. Seeing that people who approach them at work without hesitation and speak to them in Japanese can communicate with them, I'm thinking about how to interact with them.

 ・Case of Sapporo Area Member

I became acquainted with an Indonesian Muslim woman attending the church and went shopping with her. She is a young woman who loves cute things, but since she sends money back to her home country, her life is tough and she's very careful about spending money. I pray for the stability of their lives, having come from a distant country.

・Case of Kitakyushu Area Members

*After church Mass, they have meals and interact with young Vietnamese people.

* He is trying to interact with Vietnamese and Myanmar trainees who meet at work with as many smiles as possible.

*She is continuing visiting detainees at the Omura Detention Center. Currently, several Africans are applying for refugee status.

*We receive labor consultations for young foreign technical trainees and work with labor  unions on their issues. Currently working on a case concerning reproductive justice for migrant woman.

・Case of Tokyo Area Member

My church holds Masses in Japanese, Spanish, and English. While we don't interact much on a daily basis, we celebrate together during special events. Children from diverse backgrounds quickly become friends while playing together. Adults, hindered by language barriers, rarely venture beyond their own communities.

But when a Peruvian recently died in a traffic accident, during the funeral of a Peruvian parishioner, members of the Spanish Mass community stayed by his side all night, and others around them cooperated in this gesture.

I feel that accumulating such acts of empathy fosters mutual understanding and trust.

・Case of Kanagawa Area Members

Counseling of dispatched foreign workers reveal widespread exploitation: concealed workplace injuries, unjustified dismissals, and lack of social insurance coverage—treating them as cheap, disposable labor.

Vietnamese Worker A: Assaulted by a colleague, forced to take leave. Harassment continued after returning to work, leading to adjustment disorder. Workers' compensation claim denied as an “off-site incident.”

Vietnamese Woman B: Harassed by a male colleague at a hotel. After meeting with management, the perpetrator was dismissed. Through collective bargaining, the hotel promised to implement harassment prevention measures company-wide.

Vietnamese woman C: working at a nursing home: When she informed her employer of work restrictions due to pregnancy-related morning sickness, she was pressured to resign. After negotiations, she received a monetary settlement and was officially terminated for company reasons, allowing her to temporarily return home for childbirth.

Additionally, at the Yokosuka Peace Festival on October 12th, dishes prepared by Vietnamese union members were extremely popular and sold out completely.

ACO Japan