Saitama governor asks Japanese government to suspend visa exemption for Türkiye

On August 4, Motohiro Ōno, the Governor of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and submitted a letter of request addressed to Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, asking for the temporary suspension of the short-term visa exemption for Turkish citizens.

It was noted that this is the first time Governor Ōno has made such a request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is pointed out that the visa exemption is being misused for work purposes and contrary to its intended use by Turkish citizens, reportedly of Kurdish origin, who live in high concentrations in the city of Kawaguchi within the prefecture.

Ministry official: The matter is under discussion

According to a report in the Sankei Shimbun newspaper, the request letter submitted to Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Hisashi Matsumoto stated, “Concern is spreading among the public due to cases such as foreigners who enter the country with a visa exemption, repeatedly apply for asylum without a valid reason, continue to stay, and engage in criminal acts.”

The letter noted that among the countries whose citizens had previously applied for asylum, Türkiye, which has a visa exemption, ranked first for repeat applications last year.

It was emphasized that this situation “not only increases anxiety in Japan but also risks harming friendly relations by creating distrust towards the other country,” and a temporary suspension of the visa exemption was requested.

According to Governor Ōno, Vice-Minister Matsumoto stated, “As the government, we are discussing various issues to move things in a better direction.”

According to the prefectural administration, the governor’s office receives numerous messages from citizens via email and fax expressing concerns about issues related to foreigners, such as deteriorating public safety and immigration policies.

While approximately 400 such complaints were received in each of the 2023 and 2024 fiscal years, 70 complaints were recorded in the first two months of this year (as of the end of May).

Speaking after the meeting, Governor Ōno said, “They took our request seriously. We will first closely watch the steps the government will take.”

Minister Iwaya: We are not considering a suspension

According to information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan has visa exemptions for 73 countries and regions for short-term stays (90 days or less), such as for tourism. The mutual exemption agreement with Türkiye has been in effect since 1958.

Therefore, Turkish citizens can come to Japan with their passports by only covering the cost of a plane ticket and can extend their stay by applying for asylum.

According to the Immigration and Residence Administration, as of the end of last year, 75% of the approximately 2,200 Turkish citizens residing in the city of Kawaguchi have applied for asylum.

Among those who reapply multiple times despite their applications being rejected, Türkiye ranks first by nationality, accounting for approximately 46% of the total. It is estimated that a large portion of these individuals are of Kurdish origin.

In the past, the visa exemption was temporarily suspended for three countries, including Iran. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not responding positively to the request, stating that “the exemption contributes to friendly relations with Türkiye.”

It is also known that Minister Iwaya has repeatedly responded in parliament, stating, “We are not considering an immediate suspension.”