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Japan adopts action plan against human trafficking
December 8, 2004
Tokyo - Japan adopted an action plan today, aimed at preventing human
trafficking, following the release of a U.S. report this year that accused
Tokyo of not doing enough to protect its ''thousands of victims of sexual
slavery''.
Under the new programme, Japan will aim to stem human trafficking by tightening
immigration standards and also take steps to help protect victims, a government
official said.
''The key points are preventing and eliminating human trafficking and
protecting victims,'' the official said.
In its annual report on human trafficking, the U.S. State Department said in
June that Japan was a destination for Asian, Latin American and Eastern
European women and children trafficked for forced labour and sexual
exploitation.
One measure in the plan adopted today, is for Japan to scrap a system that
automatically grants entry to foreign entertainers who are recognised as such
by foreign countries.
''Entertainers are supposed to be, for example, dancers or singers but there
are cases where they are forced into prostitution after entering the country,''
a different Justice Ministry official said.
Many such victims are from the Philippines, the second official said, adding
that Japan would aim to implement the planned change as quickly as possible.
The U.S. report had said Japan's ''yakuza'' organised crime groups were
involved in such crimes and placed Japan on a ''Tier 2 watch list'' of
countries that require ''special scrutiny'' and could fall into the lowest
''Tier 3'' category.
Other than Japan, Russia is the only Group of Eight country among the 42
nations on the Tier 2 list.
Only 25 countries -- chiefly in Western Europe -- are deemed to meet the U.S.
standards, which include prohibiting severe forms of trafficking and punishing
such acts, prescribing punishments commensurate with the crimes, and making
''serious and sustained efforts'' to eliminate such trafficking.
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