Japan’s international aid agency on Thursday announced the cancellation of a cultural exchange programme with African nations following widespread false claims that it would trigger mass migration.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) said it would withdraw the “JICA Africa Hometown” initiative, which was designed to foster social and cultural ties between four African countries and four regional Japanese cities.
Instead, the announcement sparked a surge of phone calls and emails from residents alarmed by the mistaken belief that the programme was a new immigration policy to participating cities.
Local officials said the backlash disrupted their ability to carry out normal municipal functions.
“The project caused misunderstandings and confusion,” JICA President Akihiko Tanaka told reporters. “The Africa Hometown initiative will be withdrawn.”
The confusion was compounded by a Nigerian government statement claiming Japan would “create a special visa category,” alongside social media posts suggesting the programme would pave the way for African migrants to settle in Japan.
Authorities in Japan, along with the participating cities of Kisarazu, Sanjo, Imabari, and Nagai, repeatedly denied the claims, but the towns continued to receive thousands of critical messages.
The cancellation came amid heightened anti-immigration sentiment in Japan, where foreigners account for just three per cent of the workforce.
Despite concerns over a shrinking population, political parties such as the right-wing Sanseito have gained traction by calling for stricter immigration controls.
Tanaka stressed that JICA does not handle immigration matters and would continue to run international exchange programmes, including those involving African nations, but without any immigration component.
