We thoroughly tracked the unknown immigration screening of foreigners at Kansai Airport. We found that they were preventing Japan's safety from foreigners with various troubles such as deportation orders and controlled drugs. ■ Indian man who was handed over What on earth? At Kansai Airport, the largest "air gateway" in western Japan, there are specialists who protect Japan's safety. "Immigration" staff: "Please indicate booth 6 as the Japanese booth and booth 7 as the re-entry booth." This is the office of the "Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau Kansai Airport Branch Office," commonly known as the "Immigration Bureau." This time, we were able to cover their unknown activities. A call was made to hand over a foreigner. An immigration staff member heads over. The call came from the booth where immigration screening is carried out. Kansai Airport has 64 booths in total in the north and south wings. They are always checking to make sure no suspicious people enter the country. Staff member: "Boarding pass?" Man: "Yes." The man who was handed over was an Indian man from Bangkok, Thailand. I never imagined that he would be ordered to leave the country after this. The screening is carried out carefully in a room called the "secondary screening room." Staff: "Do you have a hotel reservation certificate?" Indian man: "Is this it?" Staff: "It's a hotel reservation." Indian man: "Visa?" Staff: "No, it's a hotel." Indian man: "This is my company." The man said he repairs and sells smartphones. He said he came to Japan for tourism. Staff: "I'll travel alone for six days." The man had a travel itinerary. With his consent, we copy it. While checking this itinerary, we ask the man about his activities again. This screening is necessary to prevent illegal stays such as working in Japan without a work visa or overstaying. Staff: "In a word, he can't explain. His travel itinerary is different from the original itinerary. He can't say the names of specific temples, and when I ask him where he's going specifically, he can't remember the name." Possibility of illegal employment...The whole story of the "deportation" Furthermore, when we asked him how he came to Japan, we found out "a certain fact." Official: "He went to Dubai for work, then to Thailand." The Indian man said he first flew from India to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and worked there. After that, he went on a sightseeing trip in Thailand, and then he just went sightseeing in Japan. Official: "Interview, another room." To hear more details, we went to another room. In this room, an official called a "special inquiry officer" will conduct the interview through an interpreter in his native language. Special inquiry officer: "The itinerary and your destination are different. Who made the itinerary?" Indian man: "I had a travel agency in Thailand make it." Special inquiry officer: "But why can't you tell me where you went?" Indian man: "..." Even after several hours of questioning, the man's answers were vague. The possibility of him working in Japan cannot be denied. Official: "The Indian man who was under review has been sent back." The conclusion of the "immigration bureau" was a "deportation order." Chief Inspector Sato Shiro, 4th Inspection Department, Kansai Airport Branch, Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau: "We have determined that you do not comply with Article 7, Paragraph 1, Item 2 of the Immigration Control Act, and will return on tomorrow's flight." The man was ordered to leave the country as it was determined that he was likely lying about his purpose for entering the country. Indian man: "Are you moving now?" Anyone who has been issued a "deportation order" must leave Japan immediately. The man was returned to Bangkok, Thailand the next morning on the same route he came on. ■Possibility of a person being "blacklisted"... Kansai Airport operates 948 flights a week from 46 cities in 17 countries around the world. Approximately 70,000 people use it every day, and approximately 20,000 foreigners undergo immigration inspection every day. At the booth, foreign entrants are first asked to provide fingerprints and facial photographs, which are then compared with information on terrorists and other people. In addition, the "passport," "visa," and "foreigner entry record card" are checked and examined. People who try to enter Japan for illegal purposes are prevented at the border. Once again, a request for the handover of a foreigner is made from the immigration booth. There seems to have been a problem with the immigration inspection. Officer: "How many people came? Is it just one person?" Woman: "I'm alone." A woman in her 30s from an Asian country. Why on earth did she fail the inspection? Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau Kansai Airport Branch, Second Inspection Department, Chief Inspector Junichi Ochiai: "We found a similar person on the 'blacklist'. We are currently inspecting her." The 'blacklist' refers to a database of terrorists and criminals. The woman may be a person registered on the 'blacklist.' The woman seems unable to hide her confusion at the sudden turn of events. The 'immigration' officer checks the information on the 'blacklist' in detail. Then, an unexpected fact is revealed. Officer: "Someone with the same name came up." Officer: "Oh, that's true." A person from the 'blacklist' came up, but... Officer: "It's a facial image, but it's probably a different person." "The face itself is different." "The date of birth is different." "It's a different person." In fact, the woman was caught in the inspection booth because she had the same name as a person registered on the blacklist. It is said that such detailed confirmation work is necessary during immigration inspections, which require carefulness. Woman: "May I leave here?" Officer: "It's okay." It turned out that the person was different from the "blacklisted" person, and the woman left the scene with a look of relief. ■ The truth behind the unprecedented "suspicious passport" Another foreigner was handed over. A family of four who came from Europe on a sightseeing trip. A woman in her 40s, her two children, and the woman's mother. In fact, suspicions were raised about the passport of the woman in her 40s. Chief Inspector Ochiai: "It's a stolen and expired passport." It may have been a passport that had been reported as "stolen" or "lost." Why would a woman have something like that? Officer: "What's that?" "I don't know." "Huh?" There was something suspicious about the woman's passport. Officer: "Date of issue (2023) March 14th" "Expires October 28th, 2024" An unnatural passport that expires about a year and eight months after issue. What is this? Staff: "He said he can't speak English." Staff: "We'll have to use a Pocketalk (translation device) or an interpreter." We moved to another room and listened to her through an interpreter in her native language, and we learned the situation. Woman from Europe: "Actually, I lost my passport when I moved house some time ago, so I reported it as lost. The passport I have was reissued this year after going through the process." When we asked her, she said that she had also applied for a passport for her child when she went through the process. Was that where the confusion arose? It seems that the previous passport information was mistakenly used, and a strange passport was issued. Staff: "We can't (permit entry) based on her own story." "We'll check with the embassy for now." We contacted the Japanese embassy and discussed how to proceed. Chief Inspector Ochiai: "We issued a 'provisional landing permit' because the embassy will issue an 'emergency passport.'" The Japanese embassy then issued an emergency passport. The woman went through the process again, and was officially granted landing permission. ■ Passenger's medicine contains controlled substances? It was 2pm, a time when many flights were arriving. An airport employee rushed in. Airport employee: "Please check if the medicines (passengers) are carrying are controlled substances." The medicines the passengers were carrying may contain ingredients that are restricted from being brought in, such as marijuana. Chief Inspector Ochiai: "We cannot allow landing, if you leave it as it is." Officer: "Then I will stop." Chief Inspector Ochiai: "Stop it." In fact, this situation occurred because a passenger checked the box that said "I am carrying an item that is controlled in Japan." We will inquire with the relevant authorities. The person who brought the medicine was an American woman in her 70s. She said that it was a regular medicine that is permitted in the United States. What was the decision of the "immigration bureau"? Chief Inspector Ochiai: "After inquiring with the relevant authorities, we were able to confirm that the drugs were not subject to the grounds for landing refusal, so we have granted landing permission for a short stay of 90 days." Airport specialists who protect Japan's safety. As the number of foreign visitors to Japan increases, we continue to be on our toes. [TV Asahi News] https://news.tv-asahi.co.jp