TOKYO — The Justice Ministry has begun preparations to put into
force a hooligan provision of the immigration law to prevent
anti-globalization activists from entering the country to protest the
Group of Eight summit meeting to be held in Hokkaido in July.
Relevant ministries and agencies will discuss criteria for defining
anti-globalization activists, to whom the provision will be applied for
the first time, and seek additional information from other countries.
The hooligan provision was added when Japan’s Immigration Control
and Refugee Recognition Law was revised in 2001 and enforced in 2002 to
keep hooligans out of the country for the 2002 World Cup soccer finals.
The provision states immigration authorities can refuse entry to
people who have injured, assaulted, threatened or killed people or
damaged buildings to disrupt international sports events or meetings.
It also disallows entry to people who have been imprisoned in Japan
or other countries or have been deported before if immigration
officials believe they might be involved in similar actions again.
Under the provision, 19 hooligans were prohibited from entering the
country in 2002. The provision has not been applied in other cases.
