Japan halts Africa exchange program amid false immigration claims

Japan’s international aid agency announced on September 25 that it will cancel a friendship exchange program with African nations after widespread misconceptions suggested the initiative would lead to large-scale migration, reports Arab News via AFP. 

The Japan International Cooperation Agency explained that it would cancel the “JICA Africa Hometown” initiative, a programme intended to promote cultural and social exchanges amongst four African countries and several regional Japanese cities. However, the announcement prompted a surge of emails and phone calls to the four participating cities from residents who considered the program to represent a new immigration policy. 

Local officials reported being overwhelmed by the response, making it difficult to carry out routine administrative work.

“The project caused misunderstandings and confusion,” JICA President Akihiko Tanaka told a press conference. He then added that, “The Africa Hometown initiative will be withdrawn”. 

The decision comes at a time of increasing anti-immigration sentiment in Japan, even though the country maintains one of the strictest immigration regimes among developed nations. 

The initiative had been unveiled during a major African development conference held in Tokyo this summer. It was designed to offer job training and cultural exchange opportunities, and explicitly did not include pathways for immigration or special visa provisions.

It also comes amid Japan’s broader efforts to strengthen ties with African nations. Reported by Maghrebi, Tunisia participated in TICAD9 from 20 to 22 August, consolidating dossiers and advancing relations with Japan. A key outcome was progress on a bilateral investment treaty, which will protect Japanese investors’ capital, dividends, and ensure fair dispute resolution.

Despite these clarifications, false claims circulated widely online, asserting that African migrants would move en masse to the participating cities: Kisarazu, Sanjo, Imabari and Nagai. 

Misinformation was amplified by a mistaken statement from the Nigerian government about Japan creating a “special visa category” and by social media posts and some media reports framing the programme as a means to facilitate migration. Government authorities, city officials and mainstream media have repeatedly refuted these claims. Nevertheless, the city authorities continued to receive thousands of messages criticising the initiative. 

While Japanese policymakers acknowledge the country’s shrinking population and the need for young foreign workers to sustain the economy, they remain cautious about allowing permanent immigration.

Foreign workers constitute only three percent of Japan’s labour force, yet the “Japanese First” Sanseito party performed strongly in the upper house elections, campaigning for tighter restrictions on immigration.

Tanaka stressed that JICA will continue to run international exchange programs, including partnerships with African countries, and reiterated that the agency does not handle immigration policy.

Arab News via AFP, Maghrebi.org, AFP