The Japanese government is struggling to hose down viral misinformation claiming that the recent ¡°hometown¡± agreements between four Japanese cities and African nations is part of a wider move to accept more immigrants from Africa.
The incident started when the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Â鶹´«Ã½ aid agency, officially designated the four municipalities as ¡°hometowns¡± for four African countries during the Tokyo International Conference on African Development held last week.
However, misinformation claiming that the agreement was a way to ease visa rules for Africans and encourage their migration soon surfaced, sparking controversies online, with many criticizing JICA and the Japanese municipalities for the program.
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