Japan's lower house approves bill to fingerprint, photograph foreigners

[Judi Lynn]

UPDATED: 17:55, March 30, 2006
Japan's lower house approves bill to fingerprint, photograph foreigners

Japan's House of Representatives approved on Thursday a bill about revising the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law to fingerprint and photograph all foreign visitors as part of its efforts to block terrorists from entering the country under false identities., Kyodo News reported.

Passed by a majority vote at a plenary session, the bill will be sent to the House of Councillors soon and is expected to be enacted during the current Diet session due to end June 19.

The bill stipulates that foreigners entering Japan must provide personal identification data in electromagnetic format, such as fingerprints, photographs and other items as defined by ordinances issued by the Justice Ministry.

The bill also includes a provision enabling the government to deport those judged by the justice minister to be terrorists and another provision requires planes and ships arriving in Japan to submit passenger lists before arrival, Kyodo said.
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http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200603/30/eng20060330_254700.html

[saigon68]

1. FREEDOM ON THE MARCH

THERE TOO

[Kipling]

2. Japan can be bad like that. They still have "natives only" swimming pools.

[kurth]

8. It's their country

They're not xenophobic, they just happen to have a stronger sense of identity than most.

[MrPrax]

9. Yup it's their country...

In fact these guys set out the welcome wagon anytime they see a foreigner...JUST a stronger sense of identity...that's all. Nothing to see here...

[standup]

11. Nothing wrong with national pride and putting your country first

[MrPrax]

13. Yup, nothing wrong with inviting

someone into your home and then insulting them for taking the invite, either huh?
Freeper idiot...

[VirginiaDem]

3. I had to get fingerprinted years ago for my

working visa. This seems fairly ridiculous.

[SoCalDem]

10. Being an Air Force Brat, I guess I have a different take on the whole ID

thing.. From the time I was a baby, I had ID..was fingerprinted..and had to show ID to go just about anywhere .. I don't have a problem with it.. If a place (anyplace) requires ID, then people who go there have two choices.. GO and presnt ID or don't go.. It's just that simple..

Anyone in this day and age who thinks they are "invisible" is probably deluding themselves..

If you have been born,gone to school, seen a doctor, paid taxes, gotten married, been baptized, bought anything with something other than cash, you are "known". Once you are IN a database, you NEVER get out..That's just a fact of life.

The war-time movies have ingrained the "papers, please" paranoia into our psyches, but we all "show our papers" every day when we use a parking pass, slide our work IDs to clock in, use a credit card, write a check..etc.

[Minnesota Libra]

4. Some countries - unlike the USA - take border security seriously..........

.....and they keep down crime doing so too and when hey do get hold of a criminal the scene is not a pretty one. Seems to work better than our method of operation does though.

[standup]

12. Bet some here would demand that Japan build a bridge to China

so the illegals from China can just walk across!!!!!!!!

[BiggJawn]

5. Ah, they still love us "Nanbajin", don't they?

Gaijin to the core, man.

[cleofus1]

6. i love japan

and loved living there when i lived there...but this is neither surprising nor unusual...a very structured and disciplined homogeneous society...

some really great people though...creative funny and gracious...

i only got in fistfights like 3 or 4 times...

[cleofus1]

7. oh yeah

i got my ass kicked 3 of those 4 times...no broken bones tho