Ukrainian refugees who have fled to Japan from the conflict with Russia have been warned that their visas don’t allow them to work in adult entertainment establishments, according to Japanese Justice Minister Yoshihisa Furukawa.
“There have been cases in which evacuees [from Ukraine] have been reported to be working at certain types of establishments they are not allowed” to work at, Furukawa explained, following a Cabinet meeting on Friday.
These ‘establishments’ include hostess clubs, bars and other adult entertainment venues in Japan, the minister clarified. The Immigration Services Agency has already sent written notifications to Ukrainian refugees informing them that their visas don’t allow them to take jobs that are covered by the adult entertainment law, he said.
The evacuees are allowed to switch their visa status to be able to stay in Japan for a year, but even residential status won’t make jobs in the adult entertainment sector available for them.
Some 14 million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the Russian military operation in the country in late February, according to UN estimates. Over 1,000 of them have ended up in Japan. Furukawa has also expressed concerns that Ukrainian women could become victims of human trafficking, with such reports coming from other countries.
Earlier this month, a researcher for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) revealed that online searches for sex workers from Ukraine spiked by 600% around the globe after the outbreak of the conflict.