As the number of foreigners visiting Japan increases, the Immigration Services Agency will introduce a system from next fiscal year to check the information of foreigners heading to Japan before they depart from the airport, in an effort to prevent terrorist attacks and ease congestion at immigration inspections. I decided to introduce it to the test.
Under the system that will be introduced on a trial basis starting next year, when foreigners heading to Japan check in at the airport, airlines will share information such as passports with immigration authorities.
The Immigration Bureau checks a database to determine if a person is registered as a terrorist, has been sentenced to one year or more in prison in Japan or another country, or has been arrested in Japan for illegally staying in Japan. This means informing the airline that you may not be able to enter the country and letting them decide whether or not you can board the flight.
According to the Immigration Services Agency, approximately 10,000 people are not allowed to enter Japan after arriving in Japan in some years, and measures are being taken for those who refuse to return to Japan, such as forcibly deporting them at the country's expense. .
On the other hand, the number of foreigners visiting Japan last year was about 25.8 million, which is about 80% of the number before the coronavirus outbreak, and congestion at immigration is also an issue.
Such a system has already been introduced in countries such as the United States and South Korea, and the Immigration Services Agency hopes to verify its effectiveness and use it to prevent acts such as terrorism and ease congestion at immigration inspections.