Fact-check: Are Japanese Police Putting Illegal Immigrants in Sacks for Deportation
Claim: A video where foreign police officers are seen wrapping a man in what looks like a sack has been making the rounds on social media with text claiming that Japanese authorities are packaging illegal immigrants inside sacks for deportation to their countries.
Background: The caption in one of the videos read, “Japan’s New Deportation Method ‘Sushification’.” A particular social media user posted the video with warnings to dark-skinned people, urging viewers to educate their relatives about the alleged deportation campaign in Japan.
The accompanying text reads: “If you don’t want to be packaged in a sack, do not enter Japan illegally. There is a massive deportation campaign ongoing in Japan right now. Please educate our brothers and sisters back home. These people don’t care… remember we are dark skinned????????????????” Other Facebook users have also shared the video here and here.
According to the European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUSS), with COVID-19-related travel restrictions curtailed or lifted in most African countries, the issue of population movement and migratory flows, both within Africa and towards other regions, including the Middle East and Europe, has returned to the forefront of policy debates. The number of migrants is increasing and may even exceed pre-pandemic levels. This is happening against the backdrop of profound economic, political, social, technological, and environmental changes, including the impact of the war in Ukraine on African countries’ economic recovery and food security.
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Verification: to verify the claim, PRNigeria fact-checked the viral video by breaking it into key frames and conducting a reverse image search using Yandex, an OSINT image verification tool. The investigation revealed that the item in the video is a “protection sheet” (保護シート), a thin plastic sheet used by Japanese police to wrap people who are drunk or violent. Its use is unrelated to deportation or firearms and serves as a safety measure to minimize risks to both officers and individuals. One such example is found in this video.
PRNigeria equally obtained a similar video where the device was used to wrap a famous band singer, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi in 2009, and was transferred to a police station this way after he was found completely naked and blacked out in a park at 3am. He later returned to work for the band.
Further verification by PRNigeria shows that when a person suspected of violating the Immigration Control Act is identified, Japanese authorities follow careful procedures, including investigations, examinations, and oral hearings. Foreign nationals determined to be deported are promptly returned to their country of nationality, while certain violators may be ordered to depart through simplified procedures.
Data from 2023 indicates that 65% of deportations in Japan were due to immigration violations. Overstayers and other violators are generally detained until departure and barred from reentering Japan for at least five years. Those who voluntarily report to immigration authorities may receive less severe departure orders, allowing them to avoid detention and reenter after one year.
Conclusion: The object seen in the viral video is a “protection sheet,” used by Japanese police for safety, not a sack for deportation. It is a technology that was designed to tame violent people and drunkards.
Verdict: The claim that Japanese authorities are wrapping illegal immigrants inside sacks for deportation is Misleading.
By PRNigeria
