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Hoser
Joined: 19 Mar 2005
Posts: 694
Location: Toronto, Canada
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 Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 12:03 am Post subject: Japan to fingerprint, photograph foreigners from Nov 20 |
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TOKYO � The government will approve a draft ordinance stipulating that a mandatory fingerprinting and photographing of visitors aged 16 or older will enter into force on Nov 20, officials said Thursday. The revised Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law incorporating such a measure was enacted in May last year in a bid to block the entry into Japan of individuals designated as terrorists by the justice minister.
Under the law, scanned fingerprints and other biometric data will be stored in a computer to be checked against those of past deportees. The system can also be accessed by investigating authorities, they said. The measure excludes ethnic Koreans and other permanent residents with special status, those under 16, those visiting Japan for diplomatic or official purposes, and those invited by the state. |
http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/419607
Will this apply to those of us already in Japan? Curses! I should have been more pro-active about commiting acts of terrorism before the Japanese got smart! |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 12:44 am Post subject: |
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Yes, it applies to you. Unless you are a naturalized citizen or a Zaiinchi, you should expect to get printed and photographed every time you enter Japan. Even permanent resident holders and spouse visa holders.
Prepare for longer lines at immigration. |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 1:48 am Post subject: |
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The States started finger printing people. So Japan needs to follow suit and if they can find a way to go one step further (and they did) then they will.
It makes Japanese people feel more secure knowing that outside-(country-)people who are tourists feel less comfortable, because then they may be less likely to use their natural instincts to steal and terrorize and generally not have a Japanese atmosphere about them. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 2:52 am Post subject: |
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| GambateBingBangBOOM wrote: |
The States started finger printing people. So Japan needs to follow suit and if they can find a way to go one step further (and they did) then they will.
It makes Japanese people feel more secure knowing that outside-(country-)people who are tourists feel less comfortable, because then they may be less likely to use their natural instincts to steal and terrorize and generally not have a Japanese atmosphere about them. |
I'm sorry, but this policy is discriminatory. Japan has never been terrorized by foreigners, only by Japanese (!!!), yet only foreigners get printed and photo'd, even those with PR. Yet, there is also a double standard because the special resident Chinese and Koreans are exempt. |
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markle
Joined: 17 Jan 2003
Posts: 1316
Location: Out of Japan
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 2:57 am Post subject: |
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Hmmm
Isn't this one of those things that the government drags out, waits 'til the expat community go bug-eyed batsh it about it (always a good laugh) then quietly not implement it. |
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G Cthulhu
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 3:07 am Post subject: |
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| Glenski wrote: |
| GambateBingBangBOOM wrote: |
The States started finger printing people. So Japan needs to follow suit and if they can find a way to go one step further (and they did) then they will.
It makes Japanese people feel more secure knowing that outside-(country-)people who are tourists feel less comfortable, because then they may be less likely to use their natural instincts to steal and terrorize and generally not have a Japanese atmosphere about them. |
I'm sorry, but this policy is discriminatory. Japan has never been terrorized by foreigners, only by Japanese (!!!), yet only foreigners get printed and photo'd, even those with PR. Yet, there is also a double standard because the special resident Chinese and Koreans are exempt. |
So it's not discrimination you object to per se (in reply to the point that the US does the same thing), it's the particular flavour of discrimination that Japan is applying? Would you be happier if Japan applied the same across-the-board-no-legal-rights-whatsoever form of discrimination that the US uses? What a peculiar position. |
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chollimaspeed
Joined: 11 Sep 2007
Posts: 120
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 3:26 am Post subject: |
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| I believe that Brazil introduced fingerprinting at airports after the US made fingerprinting of foreign visitors mandatory. But Brazil only extended this to US citizens, which makes sense in terms of reciprocal relations. All other countries should bring in mandatory photographing and fingerprinting for Japanese citizens and Japanese and US citizens respectively. |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 4:50 am Post subject: |
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No, Brazil introduced photo requirements. Then one of the the first American pilots who touched down in Brazil was told he had to have his picture taken because he was from America, so he gave them the finger in the picture. Then he was arrested and put in jail- for how long I don't know.
Here's an article about it:
http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/285021/all |
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chollimaspeed
Joined: 11 Sep 2007
Posts: 120
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 6:01 am Post subject: |
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| GambateBingBangBOOM wrote: |
No, Brazil introduced photo requirements. Then one of the the first American pilots who touched down in Brazil was told he had to have his picture taken because he was from America, so he gave them the finger in the picture. Then he was arrested and put in jail- for how long I don't know.
Here's an article about it:
http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/285021/all |
Cheers for that. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 6:33 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| from Cthulhu: So it's not discrimination you object to per se (in reply to the point that the US does the same thing), it's the particular flavour of discrimination that Japan is applying? Would you be happier if Japan applied the same across-the-board-no-legal-rights-whatsoever form of discrimination that the US uses? What a peculiar position. |
I object to discrimination, period.
Foreigners are not being treated fairly with this policy. Some are exempt. Does the US treat all foreigners equally with its fingerprinting policy, or is it like Japan's?
The fact that Japan is going to impose this on a select group of foreigners simply because it believes only those are capable of terrorism and require such measures to monitor them is unfounded.
Last edited by Glenski on Thu Oct 04, 2007 1:23 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 10:39 am Post subject: |
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| Not everyone gets fingerprinted when they go to the US. Canadians don't, not sure who else doesn't. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 1:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Gordon wrote: |
| Not everyone gets fingerprinted when they go to the US. Canadians don't, not sure who else doesn't. |
Not entirely true, Gordon. Some Canadians are exempt, but some are not. Read this.
http://www.dhs.gov/xtrvlsec/programs/editorial_0695.shtm
Most citizens of Canada are not subject to the US-VISIT process, including:
Canadian citizens who are visa-exempt.
Canadian citizens traveling on Canadian passports with diplomatic visas or visas for international organizations (A, G or NATO).
Canadian citizens who are studying or working in the United States, who normally do not have a non-immigrant visa in their passports.
Canadian citizens who are permanent residents of the United States.
Children under 14 and persons over the age of 79 are exempt.
Applicants for admission at primary vehicle inspection presenting a valid, unexpired, multiple-entry Form I-94 may be admitted without being subject to secondary inspection even if the applicant is not yet enrolled in US-VISIT.
Note: Customs and Border Protection Officers retain the discretion to refer a visitor for US-VISIT processing as part of the inspections process if there is a concern about the nature of travel.
Canadians who are subject to the US-VISIT process include:
Citizens of Canada applying for admission with a non-immigrant visa such as Canadian citizens with K visas (fianc�s) and E visas (treaty trade investors).
Canadian permanent residents. Under U.S. regulations, Canadian permanent residents are identified by their citizenship (i.e., the nationality of the passport that they carry), not by the fact that they may be permanently residing in another country such as Canada.
Canadians with dual nationality who present a non-Canadian passport when seeking to enter the United States.
Others who are subject to the US-VISIT process include:
Current Canadian permanent residents who are participants in NEXUS and/or FAST who may be required to enroll in US-VISIT when they renew their multiple entry Form I-94s.
Visitors renewing their multiple-entry Form I-94. All current, valid Form I-94s remain in effect. US-VISIT biometric collection requirements will be either at the time of the next issuance of the Form I-94 or at the discretion of the Customs and Border Protection Officer. |
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maya.the.bee
Joined: 23 Sep 2005
Posts: 118
Location: Stgo
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 2:31 pm Post subject: |
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| does this mean that we can't use the resident line going thru customs anymore? will we have to hack it with the tourists? |
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gonzarelli
Joined: 20 Jun 2007
Posts: 151
Location: trouble in the henhouse
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 3:58 pm Post subject: |
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Let us stop the whining and complaining. Japan is following the States, nothing more, nothing less.
I used to be upset about being photographed and fingerprinted. This past summer I went to the States with my Japanese fiancee and she had fun with it at immigration. She didn't cry foul and she didn't moan about it. I realized that it's not a big deal. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 9:33 pm Post subject: |
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| maya.the.bee wrote: |
| does this mean that we can't use the resident line going thru customs anymore? will we have to hack it with the tourists? |
Yes, that's exactly what it means. You don't have the privilege you used to have. |
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