Ukrainian Evacuees In Japan Total 984
Japanese immigration authorities say that as of May 15, a total of 984 evacuees from Ukraine had arrived in Japan.
The Immigration Services Agency says 20 of them flew in on a government plane from Poland on April 5, and another 76 travelled on commercial flights, using seats secured by Japan's government. The remaining 888 came by other means.
The arrivals are initially granted 90-day visas, but can switch to one-year "designated activities" status. This allows them to register as residents, join the public health insurance program and open bank accounts. Gaining approval for the change takes up to about two weeks.
Immigration officials say they have approved the change for 609 people.
The agency also says that as of May 13, it had received 1,459 offers for assistance on matters such as housing and jobs from businesses and local governments.
The government secures hotels for evacuees without relatives or acquaintances in Japan for their temporary stays, and looks for municipalities or businesses to accept them.
So far, seven people of three families have been accepted by local authorities in Tokyo and Kyoto. The government is looking for host localities for 55 people now staying at hotels.
The government plans to continue actively accepting Ukrainian evacuees.
Experts say key challenges will be helping evacuees deal with the language barrier and easing their concerns about employment, as the period of evacuation is expected to be prolonged.