Japan starts fingerprinting all foreigners

[Robbien]

Source: Manila Standard

TOKYO—Japan began fingerprinting and photographing foreigners entering the country Tuesday in an effort to tighten security, despite concerns by rights groups and business leaders.

Japan modeled the tighter immigration controls on the controversial US-Visit system launched in the United States after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, which keeps biometric data of foreign visitors.

“This has the very large objective of preventing terrorism,” Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama said as he slid his two index fingers onto a scanner at Narita airport near Tokyo in a demonstration for reporters Monday.

“Privacy issues are a matter of perception, and so I would like everyone to bear with us. Since we are treating individuals’ private information it will be strictly protected,” he said.

Read more: http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=news5_nov21_2007

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The insanity is spreading.