The "Immigrant and Refugee Support Fund" Begins its 8th Call for Applications Today! Supporting Small Organizations and Affected Groups Addressing Deepening Immigrant and Refugee Issues

Amidst the worsening issues surrounding "immigrants and refugees" in Japan, the Public Resource Foundation (Location: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Takeshi Kusumi) has launched the 8th call for applications for its "Immigrant and Refugee Support Fund" starting today, July 3rd. This grant program aims to provide a total of 3.2 million yen in subsidies to NPOs and other organizations engaged in improving the circumstances of refugees, immigrants, technical interns, and foreign workers in Japan.

Application Website: https://www.public.or.jp/project/f0136

Issues Surrounding Immigrants and Refugees in Japan

Japan's refugee recognition rate is pointed out to be stringent by international standards, and discussions continue regarding the nature of refugee protection. While the acceptance of evacuees has progressed following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, many individuals seeking refugee status still face a situation where they cannot receive adequate protection or support, presenting challenges from a humanitarian perspective. Furthermore, with the revised Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, enacted in 2023 and enforced in June 2024, the roles required of refugee support organizations are also undergoing significant changes.

Meanwhile, in the realm of immigration, as the number of foreign workers continues to reach record highs, issues such as poverty, working conditions, access to Japanese language education, discrimination, and exclusion surrounding foreign residents, including technical interns and specified skilled workers, are becoming more severe. In recent years, problems such as prejudice, exclusion, and hate speech against foreigners have also become apparent, making the realization of a society where diverse people can live with peace of mind an urgent task.

About the "Immigrant and Refugee Support Fund"

This fund was established in 2019 as an Original Fund® based on donations from an individual residing in Nara Prefecture. It has conducted seven grant programs to date, supporting private non-profit organizations that assist foreign nationals and people with foreign roots in Japan, disbursing a total of 22.4 million yen in subsidies.

<Features of this Fund>

Although it is a small fund supported by individual donations, it is characterized by its high mobility and flexibility, responding to the needs of frontline activities, such as being usable for security deposits for the provisional release of asylum seekers.

We welcome activities by small, community-based organizations and organizations composed of individuals with foreign roots, and we also welcome applications from organizations with limited experience in preparing application forms.

It broadly supports initiatives addressing the various changes and difficulties arising from the revised Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act enforced in 2024.

About the Call for Applications

The application period is from July 3rd to August 3rd. Approximately 4 organizations nationwide will be selected, with a subsidy of up to 800,000 yen per organization.

The subsidy period will be for one year, from October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2076, with the subsidies scheduled to be disbursed in late September.

<Examples of Supported Activities>

・Multilingual service projects, livelihood support, mental health support, telephone consultations

・Legal support, livelihood support, settlement support, Japanese language instruction

・Educational support for children and youth, career guidance, creation of safe spaces

・Disaster and emergency response, DV relief, empowerment of migrant women

・Activities to prevent discrimination and human rights violations, research and investigation activities, policy advocacy and networking

・Employment and entrepreneurship support for foreign residents, response to labor issues

・Building the foundation for multicultural coexistence in communities, collaboration with related organizations

・Training of personnel as guardians for refugees, case study meetings/study sessions, etc.

<Reference Information>

Public Resource Foundation (https://www.public.or.jp/)

Launched in 2000 as a non-profit think tank, NPO Public Resource Center, it has been involved in strengthening the management of non-profit organizations, evaluating corporate social responsibility and promoting CSR, and supporting donation promotion activities, including online donations. In January 2013, based on these achievements and accumulated experience, it was relaunched as the "Public Resource Foundation," a specialized organization for promoting donations that connects the financial resources of individuals and corporations to investments in social projects, in order to realize the aspirations of people who "want to help someone." With the mission of "Changing society through intentional donations," it offers various donation methods such as thematic funds, original funds, and bequests, and works to create systems for donations that enrich lives and pave the way for the future.