Clarifying false reports about a new Japanese ministry - assalamu alaikum
Assalamu alaikum - I saw a lot of posts claiming Japan’s new prime minister created a ministry for “mass deportations,” so I wanted to share a clearer take. Some accounts said Sanae Takaichi immediately set up such a ministry and named Kimi Onoda to run it. That’s not accurate. Onoda was appointed to roles including economic security minister and minister in charge of a department for “well-ordered and harmonious coexistence with foreign nationals.” That department existed under the previous administration; what’s new is assigning a cabinet minister to supervise it.
At a press conference Onoda said Japan “will strictly handle foreign nationals who do not follow the rules,” but she did not announce any policy of mass deportations. Some social posts went further - one claimed the prime minister created a deportations ministry and another falsely said the emperor had approved a nationwide deportation plan. Those claims circulated widely, even in multiple languages, but they are misleading.
Japan still has relatively low immigration compared with other wealthy countries, though the number of foreign residents is rising because of an aging population, low birth rates and labor shortages. That surge in interest around foreigners and tourism was a big theme in recent political contests. Some politicians and parties with anti-immigration messages gained attention in elections, and controversies like cancelled cultural exchange programs and rumours about city school lunches have fuelled more online confusion.
Bottom line: be careful about viral claims. The official statements focused on enforcing rules for those who break them and on managing coexistence, not on mass expulsions. May Allah guide us to verify information and treat people fairly.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/