Immigration policies drastically expanded in Japan and South Korea, but the reality migrant workers face in both countries are not as promising. The general resistance of unskilled immigration and the demands of labor shortages and shrinking populations have been accommodated with ad hoc governmental policies.

Under the supervision of Professor Keiko Yamanaka, UC Berkeley undergraduate research apprentices Margaux, Maya and Eun Seo have been taking on research this Fall looking into the glaring contradictions between these governmental policies and working conditions. Margaux is interested in the new influx of low-skilled workers via the new TPI (Technical and Practical Interns) program, and how it was motivated by the aging population crisis Japan is currently facing. Having spent 8 years in Japan, Maya is interested in understanding the working conditions of migrant workers and the role of the Nikkei community. Eun Seo has been interested in the relationship between Nepal and South Korea since the number of Nepalese workers has rapidly increased after the implementation of the EPS (Employment Permit System). Along with the insight from Nepalese Scholar, Himali Dixit, on the history and working conditions in Nepal, Margaux, Maya, and Eun Seo will break down the similarities and differences of immigration policies, the consequences and responses, and provide insights looking forward!