Photo/Illutration A Ukrainian living in Japan welcomes her friends evacuating from Ukraine at Kansai International Airport in March. (Takuya Nishie)

The government pledged to provide temporary accommodation and shoulder living expenses to Ukrainians who escape from the war raging in their homeland but do not have family or relatives in Japan.

It will also help them find jobs under a special visa that can be extended for a year if necessary.

As of March 30, officials said 337 Ukrainians had been allowed into Japan. But as they all had family members or relatives already living in Japan, there is no system to provide them with living expenses, the officials added.

The crisis in Ukraine, triggered by Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion, has reportedly created close to 4 million Ukrainian evacuees.

The government decided there was no time to waste in coming up with additional steps to help Ukrainians who do not have family or relatives in Japan.

The support measures for those Ukrainians will kick in from the time they arrive in Japan, according to the Immigration Services Agency.

New arrivals who test negative for COVID-19 will be taken to a hotel where they will be provided with room and board until they find a permanent place to stay.

In the event of a positive test, newcomers will be quarantined for three days before being moved to a designated hotel. The government will cover any medical expenses that arise from dealing with COVID-19.

Authorities will try to find a suitable job and home for all newly arriving Ukrainians. As of March 31, the government had received 591 offers of support from private-sector companies, local governments and nongovernmental organizations in the form of job openings and places to stay.

Even after a more permanent home has been found, the government plans to continue providing a certain level of funds to cover daily living and medical expenses for the Ukrainians.

Discussions are now being held to determine the specific amount as well as the period for which the payments will be provided. One proposal is to provide financial support for six months, but that could change depending on how the situation in Ukraine develops.

The government will tap 520 million yen ($4.2 million) from the fiscal 2021 budget reserve fund to cover the program, officials said.

The Immigration Services Agency is already recruiting Ukrainian interpreters to assist new arrivals. The government also plans to provide Japanese language and job training to those who request such help.

New arrivals will be granted entry on a short-stay visa but able to switch over to one valid for a year that allows them to undertake activities specifically designated by the government. Renewal of the visa might be possible, depending on future developments in Ukraine.

An agency official said it was difficult to determine how many Ukrainians might be allowed to stay in Japan.

Sergiy Korsunsky, the Ukrainian ambassador, held a news conference April 1 to express his gratitude for 5 billion yen or so in donations from about 200,000 Japanese that his embassy has received since Russia invaded Ukraine. The money will be used to help Ukrainians who have fled their homeland.

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