Japan to monitor social media to track visa overstayers and illegal workers

The agency will establish a cyber patrol unit as early as next year to identify online information related to illegal work

Japan's immigration authorities plan to crack down on visa overstayers and illegal foreign workers by monitoring social media and other platforms for information or leads.

According to the Japanese daily The Mainichi, the initiative is part of the country's efforts to reduce the number of overstayers at a time when Japan is taking in more foreign workers due to labor shortages.

As early as next year, the Immigration Services Agency plans to use analytical tools to identify online information related to illegal work, including solicitations in foreign languages. The agency will establish a unit dedicated to cyber patrols.

Crackdown on employers

As part of a program targeting overstayers, the agency also aims to crack down on individuals who employ foreign workers without valid visas.

According to agency data, Japan had around 68,000 illegal stayers as of January, down around 6,000 from a year ago.

Ibaraki prefecture offers cash rewards

In a related move, the Ibaraki prefectural government, located northeast of Tokyo, recently launched a program to reward individuals who report businesses that hire undocumented foreign workers. Tipsters will receive 10,000 yen (US$63) if their information leads to enforcement action.

Record number of legal foreign workers

The number of foreign people working legally in Japan rose 11.7% from a year earlier to a record 2.57 million as of October, according to government data.