"「技人国」外国人労働者の給与未払い疑い 会社社長逮捕 豊田," 3 September 2025

[Unofficial description by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre]

The president of the recruitment agency “NEXCEL,” Isataka Taguchi, has been arrested for failing to pay wages totaling around 16.6 million yen to workers including Vietnamese. Many of the affected workers were employed under the “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” (commonly referred to as Gijinkoku) residency status, which is intended for those with advanced knowledge or skills. These workers had been voicing their grievances about unpaid wages on social media and elsewhere.

In November last year, after receiving a consultation from a Vietnamese worker employed at the company, authorities issued guidance to the firm. However, as no improvements were observed, this led to the arrest.

Unpaid wages involved about 150 workers, and when including amounts already covered under the government’s advance payment system, the total reportedly exceeds 78 million yen.

As the Gijinkoku visa category is premised on workers with advanced expertise, it lacks established rules such as third-party oversight to protect workers. Meanwhile, the number of foreign workers under this status has been increasing, exceeding 400,000 nationwide last year.

Problems arising alongside this growth include unpaid wages and cases where workers are assigned tasks that do not meet the requirements of their residency status. Critics point out that because Gijinkoku imposes fewer obligations on host companies compared to categories like “Specified Skilled Worker,” it is effectively being used in ways convenient to both employers and workers, despite the risks involved.