Several Japanese citizens have rejected a partnership plan the government of Japan had with four African countries; Nigeria, Mozambique, Ghana, and Tanzania.
This comes as many Japanese citizens have voiced opposition to the proposed partnership plan, saying that it could increase the influx of Nigerian and other foreign nationals into their cities.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that many of the citizens, fearing cultural and economic strain, have taken to the streets and social media to express their discontent, urging the government to reconsider the initiative.
“We’re not against foreigners, but we can’t handle a flood of newcomers,” said Hiroshi Tanaka, a Tokyo shopkeeper,
Also, one of the Japanese Citizens who rejected the partnership plan said: “If immigrants come flooding in, who is going to take responsibility?”
Similarly, a Japanese government official revealed that the government has received 350 phone calls and 3,500 emails since Monday, from residents asking if the country had adopted a new immigration policy.
“Our team of 15 officials spent a whole day handling hundreds of phone calls and thousands of emails from residents,” the official in Sanjo told Agence France-Presse.
This development comes after the conclusion of the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9).
Recall that during the conference, the Japanese government named the cities of Nagai in Yamagata Prefecture the hometown of Tanzania, Sanjo in Niigata Prefecture the hometown of Ghana, Imabari in Ehime Prefecture the hometown of Mozambique, and Kisarazu the hometown of Nigeria.
Reports also emerged that the Japanese government has agreed on a special visa scheme with Nigeria.
However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan had debunked the reports, maintaining that the special visa claims were not true.
The statement reads: “Under this program, four cities in Japan are designated as ‘home towns’ for four African countries. Under this program, JICA plans to promote exchanges between the four Japanese cities and the four African countries through various activities, including the organisation of exchange events involving JICA overseas cooperation volunteers.
“On the other hand, there are no plans to take measures to promote the acceptance of immigrants or issue special visas for residents of African countries, and the series of reports and announcements concerning such measures is not true. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan will continue to make efforts to ensure that appropriate reporting and statements regarding this matter are carried out.”
