Japan To Allow Entry To Dozens Of Foreign Students


Japan to allow entry to dozens of foreign students

NHK has learned that Japan's government plans to exempt dozens of foreign students from the entry ban imposed to prevent the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

The government is denying entry to new foreign arrivals through the end of next month. It pledges to flexibly consider whether to grant exemptions based on humanitarian grounds, national interests and other special circumstances.

In line with this exemption policy, starting later this month the government plans to allow in 87 foreign students who have received Japan's state scholarships.

The government says they are special cases, in light of urgency and public interests, as they need to take in-person classes to meet imminent deadlines for graduation or completion of their academic work.

The government will likely arrange for the students to arrive in Japan around the same time as much as possible.

It is also expected to require them to abide by the country's rigorous anti-infection measures, such as self-isolation at a government-supervised facility for a certain period.

The government plans to maintain, in principle, the current strict border control rules.