The number of illegal Vietnamese immigrants in Japan climbed to 2,453 last year, reflecting a nearly 70 per cent jump from 2013, latest data from the Immigration Bureau of Japan said.

The data showed that the total number of illegal immigrants in Japan as of January 1 this year was 60,007, 946 more than last year.

The reason for the increase was attributed to the increased frequency of the number of people travelling to Japan for internships and staying back illegally.

In terms of the growth rate, Viet Nam was among the top with a surge of 66.8 per cent.

Meanwhile, South Koreans accounted for the highest number of illegal immigrants at 13,634, followed by China and Thailand at 8,647 and 5,277, respectively. 

VNS