Japan cuts Africa exchange initiative amid increased immigration fears

Japan’s foreign aid agency said it is cancelling an exchange programme with African nations following protests and a political backlash.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) initiative aimed to foster cultural and social exchanges between the four countries and as many Japanese cities.

But inaccurate media reports and posts on social media platforms about the “Africa Hometown” programme suggested the scheme would lead to a “flood of migrants”.

Officials say this resulted in an avalanche of complaints from residents in the Japanese towns paired with Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, and Tanzania.

Some critics seemed to believe that “hometown” status meant that people from these countries would be given special permission to live and work in the partner cities.

Local officials became so overwhelmed by the complaints that they struggled to carry out regular municipal operations.

The cancellation of the initiative comes amid rising anti-immigration sentiment in Japan, even as its shrinking population raises concerns about future economic sustainability.

JICA has apologised to the cities for the confusion and has promised to pursue other international exchange efforts.

The initiative was announced as part of a major Africa development conference that Japan hosted in August.