Deported South Koreans attempted to bypass fingerprinting system with fake passports

While some repeat illegal immigrants have mutilated their fingers to bypass Japan’s fingerprinting machines, new arrests reveal that others have tried obtaining fake Japanese passports:

One South Korean and two Japanese brokers, who were arrested on suspicion of arranging a fake marriage between a South Korean woman and a Japanese man, allegedly obtained about 40 fake Japanese passports for South Koreans who had been deported, it has been learned.

In order to prevent deportees gaining reentry to Japan, the revised Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law introduced in November requires foreigners to be fingerprinted and photographed when they enter the country.

The deportees asked the brokers to obtain the fake passports, and have admitted to the police they did so in an attempt to avoid fingerprinting.

Police report that this is the first documented case of its kind. However, it is possible that others have used similar methods to get around the fingerprinting machines.