By Blaine Harden
Sunday, January 17, 2010
TOKYO — Fida Khan, a gangly 14-year-old, told the court that immigration authorities should not deport him and his family merely because his foreign-born parents lacked proper visas when they came to Japan more than 20 years ago. During the past two decades, his Pakistani father and Filipino mother have held steady jobs, raised children, paid taxes and have never been in trouble with the law.
“I have the right to do my best to become a person who can contribute to this society,” Fida told a Tokyo district court in Japanese, the only language he speaks.
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Despite a recent slowdown, the U.S. real estate market continues to be a popular investment destination for foreign investors. Attracted by a desirable return on investment, many foreign nations continue to invest heavily in the U.S. residential and commercial real estate markets. In fact, in 2005, foreign investment in U.S. real estate reached 1.83 trillion.
To evaluate the impact of foreign investment on the U.S. real estate market, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) produced a 2006 report entitled ‘Foreign Investment in U.S. Real Estate: Current Trends and Historical Perspective.’ The report provides insights into the trends in foreign real estate investment, its impact on the U.S. economy, and the major countries that participate in U.S. real estate investment. Below are some highlights from the NAR report.
A new immigrant touches the promised land (Photo: AFP)
In 2009, for the first time in a decade, the number of immigrants to Israel rose from the previous year. Approximately 16,200 immigrants arrived in Israel from around the world over the last year, marking a 17% percent rise from 2008 when 13,860 immigrants made Aliyah, according the Jewish Agency and Israel’s Ministry of Immigration Absorption.
Noteworthy immigration includes Aliyah from countries with very small Jewish communities. In 2009, the figures included: 3 from Japan, 3 from China, 2 from Honduras, and one from each of the following countries – Martinique, Madagascar, Kenya and Taiwan. 4 others preferred Israel to Hong Kong, and a similar number came from the Island of Mauritius.
Fingerprinting at Narita Airport
Japanese police arrested a young Chinese woman who had been previously deported but sneaked back into the country. Lin Rong, 27, had been deported to China in March 2007 for working as a hostess at a bar in Akasaka, Tokyo, after her visa had expired. Police said she paid roughly $1,500 for a plastic surgery that allowed her to evade Japan’s immigration control. The fingerprint scam would go undetected, but for Rong’s continuing bad luck. According to Japanese officials, this time she was arrested for faking a marriage license after entering Japan. A casual look at her fingers revealed scarred tissue, which led to further investigation. Police found that she paid to remove patches of skin from her thumbs and index fingers and then graft them on to fingers on the opposite hand. Her identity was not detected when she re-entered Japan illegally through the border control using bogus fingerprints.
