Japan Creates Special Visa Program for African Migrants to Address Labor Shortages

In a landmark decision at the TICAD 9 meeting, Japan has introduced a new special visa program aimed at attracting African migrants to help address the country's severe labor shortages and reverse the depopulation of its rural areas. The initiative designates four Japanese cities as "hometowns" for migrants from select African nations.

Under the new program, migrants from Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana, and Mozambique will be settled in specific cities across Japan. Nigerians will be relocated to the city of Kisarazu, while Tanzanians will find a new home in Nagai. Ghanaians are designated for Sanjo, and migrants from Mozambique will be settled in Imabari.

This strategic program is a direct response to Japan's demographic challenges, utilizing migration to inject new life and labor into its aging and shrinking rural communities.