Comments on: Permanent Residents Will Be Fingerprinted?

By: the overthinker

the overthinker — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 05:02:55 +0000

Shouldn’t this post at least have a ! instead of a ??

By: Matt Dioguardi

Matt Dioguardi — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 01:51:02 +0000

I think even on a cost per benefit basis the program fails miserably.

I fail to understand how the program would crackdown on illegal immigrants. How would that work?

The program does mean that activists labeled as “terrorists” will not be able to enter Japan.

Terrorists will be able to enter fairly easy through normal channels. I think the recent episode with Pakistani shipworkers entering Japan, which was blogged here, shows that where controls really count, there aren’t any. If you don’t understand this I’ll explain, there are little if any controls to prevent trading ships at Japanese ports from allowing their nationals to “illegally” enter Japan. It’s extremely easy for a national from a docked ship to enter Japan.

By: the overthinker

the overthinker — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 23:37:48 +0000

I did not say cracking down on illegals itself was a bad thing.

By: Ken Y-N

Ken Y-N — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 23:32:01 +0000

the real goal is cracking down on illegal immigrants

And cracking down on illegals would be a bad thing how?

Oh, I went through US immigration today and the fingerprinting and photo was from a procedural point of view rather a non-event. You do your fingerprints as he’s stamping your passport and the photo is just a one-second delay.

By: the overthinker

the overthinker — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 22:30:33 +0000

Welcome to the Police State that is the post 9-11 world, where even countries that weren’t attacked are using it as an excuse to increase xenophobia and control of all citizens. LDP working papers on fingerprinting and immigration control like to say this is sort of thing is for the “protection” and “benefit” of foreigners, which is a bit like a mugger claiming he’s relieving you of your wallet so you won’t have to worry about carrying it. They also distinguish, condescendingly, between “good” foreigners and “bad” foreigners, but assume all foreigners are bad, under the naive idea that “if you haven’t done anything wrong you won’t be in trouble.” Claims that this is to prevent terrorism are just the propaganda to get people to blindly agree – the real goal is cracking down on illegal immigrants, as that Mainichi WaiWai article linked in the News section also shows (all foreigners, regardless of visa status, must have their presence reported by their companies). I haven’t visited the US since that evil US-VISIT scheme was introduced (and I note with some satisfaction that visitor numbers have dropped sharply according to the NYT) but it’s going to be harder to avoid passing through Japanese airports.