▲ Office workers in Tokyo, Japan (File Photo)
Local governments in Japan are increasingly providing information on foreign nationals who intentionally fail to pay their national health insurance premiums to immigration authorities.
The move is intended to prevent "free-riding" on the health insurance system by using the denial of residency extensions as leverage.
According to the Asahi Shimbun on Thursday (June 11), as of the 25th of last month, 115 local governments across the country have been providing information on "delinquent foreign payers" to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan.
This information is reflected in the screening process for changes or renewals of residency status, which can lead to the denial of stay.
In fact, 27 foreigners whose delinquency information was reported were denied residency extensions as of last spring.
The Japanese government and local municipalities are tightening the management of foreign delinquents because the collection rate for health insurance premiums from foreigners remains significantly low.
According to data from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the collection rate for health insurance premiums from foreigners is approximately 63%, which is well below the overall collection rate of 93%.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.