Immigration is considered as a promising approach to counter the effects of population decline and labor shortage, which both Japan and Germany are facing. But what can be done to make Japan and Germany more attractive to immigrants? This question was addressed at the JDZB conference “Attractive for Immigrants? Migrants’ Life Satisfaction in Host Countries in Comparison” held in cooperation with the IN-EAST Institute of East Asian Studies at the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) and supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation), on June 23 and 24, 2022. A distinguished group of experts intensively discussed continuities and changes in several facets of migration policies, perspectives on the labor market, and in-depth research on selected immigrant groups, e.g. the status of Specified Skilled Workers and the Technical Intern Training Program in Japan. In addition, the role of language was a focus of the discussion. We also received insights into the work of the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency, which was also of high interest.

The conference is thought to have served as an avenue to future joint projects among the Japanese and German experts, and we thank all speakers for their excellent contributions!

Find more information about the conference here.