Foreign = Criminal Suspect?
Does anyone have any more information about this new (I think) development? What do they mean by long-term residents? Anyone who is not a tourist? Does it include permanent residents?
New Long Term Residency Requirements: Japan recently modified its Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act. The law now requires that long-term residents provide satisfactory evidence that they do not have a criminal record in their home country when renewing their resident card. To obtain such proof, U.S. citizens with long-term resident status in Japan need to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and provide it with a copy of their fingerprints. To request such service, please follow the guidance listed here. For more details about the Japanese requirements, check with the nearest immigration office in Japan.
Source:
U.S. Department of State
Consular Information Sheet: Japan
I am getting really annoyed at being treated like a criminal suspect just because I am foreign. What is it with all this action against foreigners these days? We seemed to be moving nicely away from that trend in recent years with the fingerprints being removed from our Alien Registration Cards. I am feeling distinctly unwelcome, these days, in the country I have called home for ten of the past twelve years...
Correction
It seems that this law has something to do with people of Japanese descent (Nikkei) who immigrate to Japan. I don't understand the particulars, but people who are not of Japanese descent should not have to do this. If I can find more information about this, I will post it here. In the meantime, it seems that the page above on the Department of State website is misleading.
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MOJ Site for Immigration Procedures
If you have to renew your visa or get a re-entry permit, you might find the Immigration Procedures Handbook from the Immigration Bureau of Japan useful. Also, the list of necessary documents will help you know what you need to bring in order to apply for various permits and extensions.
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New Immigration Procedures
The Ministry of Justice has decided that all foreigners (including permanent residents) entering Japan must be fingerprinted and photographed. The Ministry's excuse for this is a long list of terrorist acts, none of which happened in Japan.
See the peppy video: Landing Examination Procedures for Japan are Changing!
Personally, I don't like the idea of being treated as a criminal just because I am foreign. If they want to implement draconian measures like this, they should apply to everyone entering Japan, not just foreigners. If they could get the Japanese public to agree to this kind of treatment, then I wouldn't be as upset about it.
More information on Debito Arudou's site.
(Thanks to Melissa N. for the information.)
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Petition to Abolish Mandatory Fingerprinting in Japan
From BAD IMPRESSIONS: Japan's new policy of fingerprinting foreigners is cack-handed and callous by Arudou Debito, Metropolis Magazine, October 26, 2007, Issue #709
If you haven’t heard about the new immigration procedure coming into effect next month, it’s time you did. It will affect not only tourists and frequently traveling businesspeople, but also long-term residents. You will be targeted by a useless and xenophobic system, treated as fresh off the boat no matter how long you’ve lived here.
From November 20, 2007, all foreigners crossing the border into Japan will have their fingerprints and mug shots taken. Their biometric data will be stored for 70 years, and shared with other governments just in case of—well, just in case.
What can you do?
Sign the petition. (There is also a Facebook cause page.)
Print bilingual protest letters and hand them in as you clear Customs.
Any other ideas?
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Welcome to Japan
As of today (November 20, 2007), all foreign residents will have to be fingerprinted and photographed when we enter the country. Here is a little animation that illustrates nicely how this is going to work: Welcome to Japan. (Animation courtesy of Nick Wood, found on Arudou Debito's blog).
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