English version below
参考記事は英語版の下にあります

6月4日、『Japan Today』並びに『Japan Times』に掲載された記事によりますと、政府は日本在住の外国人の再入国に関する方針の見直しを発表したそうです。発表によりますと、「人道的な理由」で再入国を認めるルールを今後より積極的に使うようですが、海外にいる家族の葬儀や日本でできない医療を受けるための一時出国が事例として取り上げられています。そして、該当事情がある証明を提出する必要があるそうです。このルールは永住者と日本人の家族だけでなく、すべての中長期滞在を許可する在留資格に該当するそうです。これは方向として良いニュースだと思います。

しかし、「人道的な理由」の具体的で網羅的な該当事例は未だにも明文化されておらず、何が証明として必要か、全く示されていません。このため、今回の緩和は本陳情書の要求を満足させたとはいいがたいです。このため、緩和が発表されても、まだ足りない緩和なので、本陳情活動を当分の間続けます。

発表されたような緩和の際、次の最低限のルール化をご提案します：
・5月27日現在の注3（人道的な理由）を取りやめ、「余儀のない理由の海外渡航」というカテゴリーを設定すること
・政府が何を「余儀のない理由」として認めているか、分かりやすい一覧表でまとめること
・「余儀のない理由の」の制定においては、似たルールをすでに実施している欧米の先進国を参考にし、日本の方針を先進国同士の標準に合わせること
・「余儀のない理由」を認めるため各々に必要な証明方法・書類を一覧表で明示すること
・どの在留資格保持者を対象にするか、明示すること
・すべての中長期在留資格の保持者の再入国を認めるのが理想だが、どうしても対象にできない場合があるなら、最低限永住者と日本人の家族または永住者の家族またはその他別の在留資格を有する在留外国人の家族を必ず対象にすること（必ず不当な家族分断を極力阻止すること、家族構成員、特に同じ世帯で暮らすものの場合に限り、新規に移り住もうとする人のビザ発行及び入国も特別なケースとして許可するよう、十分な配慮を願います）
・（永住者と家族だけの再入国を認める場合）日本人や永住者の家族であることが在留資格で証明できない場合、どのような証明が必要か、明示すること

以上の具体的なご提案でございます。政府が上記のような方針を取ればこそ、真の「人道的な理由」による再入国方針が見えてくるのではないでしょうか？

現在まで署名した皆様、どうもありがとうございました。今後もくれぐれサポートをよろしくお願い致します。

Update on news articles by “Japan Today” and “Japan Times” from June 4, reporting that the Japanese government would lax its reentry denial policy

On June 4, “Japan Today” and “Japan Times” have reported that the government of Japan would change its policy on the reentry denial of mid- and long-term as well as permanent foreign residents. According to the reports, the government will make more use of the provision that reentry is still possible for humanitarian reasons. Temporary exits for a family funeral abroad or for a medical treatment that is not available in Japan are explicitly mentioned as eligible cases but prove that it is such a case must be provided. It is furthermore reported that this change in policy applies to holders of all mid- and long-term visa statuses and not just permanent and family residents. This announcement is a great step in the right direction.

However, albeit the articles name examples of what could be treated as humanitarian reasons, those are still not thoroughly and comprehensively defined in written form, and it is not well defined, what would be seen as prove in practice. For these reasons, the newly announced relaxation is still far away from satisfying the requests of this petition. Therefore, it will continue for the time being, at least until the government makes new announcements.

I would like to add a few suggestions of what the government could announce to satisfy my humble request at a minimum level:
- Cancelling the vague Note 3 in the regulations of May 27 (humanitarian reasons) and replacing it with a category stipulating precise cases of “essential travel”
- Comprehensively and precisely list all cases and circumstances that fall under the category of “essential travel”
- To get a handle on what constitutes “essential travel”, the government of Japan is encouraged to look at the rules of other developed countries, to bring Japan’s reentry policy on par with the rest of the developed world
- Firmly stipulate each document or admissible substitutes thereof that prove that the re-entrant in question was out for “essential travel”
- Precisely define, which visa statuses will fall under those new regulations for “essential travel”
- Ideally, all mid- and long-term residents should be granted reentry, but if that’s not possible, in any case reentry should be granted to all permanent residents, family of Japanese citizens and permanent residents, and family members with eminent relatives living in Japan, that are residing on other mid- and long-term visas (avoidance of forced separation of families at all cost. By this logic, eminent family members living in the same household should be considered as cases exceptional enough to be admitted even if they newly arrive)
- (Only if permanent residents and family members are permitted) Precisely define what documents are needed to prove having family in Japan if this is not obvious from the visa status

Those are my humble suggestions to the government of Japan what to implement to reach the minimum threshold of satisfying this petition. By adding clear and transparent definitions to the exceptions the government of Japan is about to grant, we can see a really humanitarian approach to dealing with this challenging times.

I want to express my sincere gratitude to everybody who has signed and showed support. Let’s continue until Japan has implemented a reasonable reentry policy that matches those of other developed nations.

『Japan Times』による記事 / Article by the “Japan Times”: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/06/04/national/japan-softens-re-entry-ban-foreign-residents/#.Xtnai8Afk2x

『Japan Today』による記事 / Article by “Japan Today”: https://japantoday.com/category/national/japan-says-foreigners-with-humanitarian-needs-exempt-from-entry-ban