Japan to Beef Up Immigration Control to Prevent Terrorism

Tokyo, Aug. 27 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Justice Ministry said Thursday it plans to seek 16.4 billion yen in appropriations as part of its budget request for fiscal 2016 to beef up immigration control to prevent terrorism as the country is preparing for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. Under the plan, the ministry will create a facial-image database of terrorists to be used in checks in immigration procedures. The ministry's budget request for the year starting next April totals 769.4 billion yen, up 4.3 pct from the previous year. The sum also includes 13.8 billion yen for opening job assistance centers in Tokyo and Osaka for former prison inmates and 35.4 billion yen for improving old prisons. END