Workers wipe to clean the windows, May 1, 2023, in Yokohama near Tokyo. (PHOTO / AP)

TOKYO - The Japanese government on Friday approved plans to scrap the country's controversial training program for foreigners and replace it with a new system that will improve rights protection.

Under the new system, which will replace the Technical Intern Training Program, certain restrictions on workplace transfers will be relaxed, according to local media.

But it has faced criticism and scrutiny over the years due to reports of labor exploitation, human rights abuses, and inadequate working conditions

The government has decided to set a maximum limit of two years for job transfers of the trainees, depending on the field, Kyodo News reported.

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Previously, transfers were largely prohibited, leading to instances of trainees disappearing amid harsh working conditions.

The new system will also allow trainees to shift to a specified skilled worker system, introduced in 2019, that makes it possible for stays of up to five years with the potential for obtaining permanent residency.

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The existing Technical Intern Training Program is a government scheme introduced in 1993 to provide training opportunities for foreigners in various industries in Japan.

But it has faced criticism and scrutiny over the years due to reports of labor exploitation, human rights abuses, and inadequate working conditions experienced by some participants. Concerns have been raised about the program being used as a means to secure cheap labor rather than as a genuine training opportunity.

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Friday's approval at a ministerial meeting paves the way for the government to submit bills to parliament as early as March to introduce the new system, according to Kyodo News.