UKRAINIANS fleeing war in their country will be allowed to work in Japan, said the Japanese government.

“We will flexibly respond to evacuees’ visa status, sufficiently taking into consideration their situation,” Justice Minister Yoshihisa Furukawa told a press conference in Tokyo today.

At least 47 Ukrainians have arrived in the East Asian country since Russia invaded its neighbour on February 24, with Tokyo offering the evacuees short-term visas as part of a humanitarian assistance package, reported Anadolu Agency.

“Under the measure, evacuees who are granted 90-day, short-term residency visas when entering Japan will be permitted to extend their visas to ‘designated activities’ status for one year,” said the minister, as quoted by Kyodo News.

“The change will give them residency and the legal right to engage in work.”

Along with Japan’s Western allies, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been leading efforts to halt Moscow’s war on Kyiv.

Energy-deficient Japan has imposed sanctions on Russia, but taken a cautious approach on banning energy imports from the country.

Hirokazu Matsuno, Japan’s top government spokesman, told a separate press conference that “the government will cooperate with firms and local governments that have announced their intention to accept (Ukrainian) evacuees and study measures based on requests of people who want to evacuate to Japan”.

The Russia-Ukraine war has drawn international condemnation, and led to financial sanctions on and spurred an exodus of global firms from Moscow.

At least 636 civilians have been killed and 1,125 injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict, according to the United Nations (UN).

UN warned that the true toll is likely much higher as access to areas of increased hostilities remains restricted.

It also reported that some 2.8 million people have since fled to neighbouring countries. – Bernama, March 15, 2022.