An Upper House committee has approved a controversial bill to revise Japan's immigration law. The legislation is designed to make it easier to deport foreign nationals who are illegally staying in Japan, and to end long detentions in immigration facilities.

The chamber's Judicial Affairs Committee endorsed the bill by a majority vote on Thursday. The Upper House is expected to pass it into a law on Friday. The lower chamber approved it in May.

Under the current system, asylum seekers are shielded from deportation, while their applications for refugee status are being processed. The government says some people are applying repeatedly in order to stay in Japan indefinitely.

The bill would end the deportation exemption if they apply more than two times unless adequate reasons are given.

It would also allow those facing deportation to stay out of detention facilities. They would be able to live elsewhere under the supervision of authorized supporters.

During the deliberations in the committee session, a member from the largest opposition party demanded that the bill should be scrapped. Ishikawa Taiga of the Constitutional Democratic Party said the legislation would jeopardize thousands of people.

The main ruling Liberal Democratic Party has maintained that the revisions are indispensable to achieve an inclusive society, where Japanese and foreign nationals can live together in security and harmony.

The LDP and its junior coalition partner Komeito voted in favor of the bill in the committee, along with two opposition parties, the Nippon Ishin Japan Innovation Party, and the Democratic Party for the People.

The Constitutional Democratic Party and the Japanese Communist Party voted against.