Japan cuts Africa exchange program!

Photo credit: Al Jazeera

Japan’s foreign aid program has scrapped a cultural exchange initiative with African countries after an online misinformation campaign led to a torrent of complaints and fear of increased immigration.

AlJazeera reports that the country’s International Cooperation Agency (JICA) announced on Thursday that it will cancel the Africa Hometown scheme, after an episode that experts say illustrates the potential impact of fake news and populist narratives to shape migration policy.

Although the country has enforced some of the world’s strictest immigration rules, Japan has seen growing hostility towards foreigners. Meanwhile, its shrinking workforce is raising concerns about future economic sustainability.

The Africa Hometown program was designed to promote training and cultural understanding but it was not linked to visas or migration. The scheme pared four regional Japanese cities with communities in four African nations.

But an erroneous Nigerian government statement about a “special visa category” helped spur false claims online.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s critics accused him of plotting to bring “millions of Africans and Kurds” into Japan.

The claim spread widely with the help of Elon Musk before it was debunked. Musk wrote that, “If this continues, there will be no Japan, just some islands where Japanese people used to live.”

The resulting uproar forced local authorities to suspend normal operations as they struggled to handle a deluge of complaints.

President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency Akihiko Tanaka said the backlash had overwhelmed participating municipalities. He said, “Reactions spread based on misunderstandings and confusion. The African Hometown initiative will be withdrawn.”

Local media reported that one city fielded as many as 200 angry calls a day.

Tanaka said JICA will continue international exchange efforts, including with African partners, but underlined that the agency “does not deal with immigration issues”.

Although politicians have acknowledged Japan’s ageing population requires more foreign labour, leaders remain cautious about opening permanent immigration channels.