Japan police wrongfully arrest foreign worker
Police in Japan’s Iwate Prefecture wrongfully arrested a foreign worker earlier this week for not carrying his passport even though he had another proper ID with him, they said Friday.
There is no legal requirement for foreigners carrying a residence card to also have their passport with them, but the arresting officer did not know that, the police said.
The farmworker in Kunohe, a village in the northeastern Japan prefecture, was brought to a police station on a voluntary basis on Wednesday. After confirming that the worker did not have a passport with him, the officer arrested him late in the afternoon.
But after he was taken to a detention facility, another officer found the man’s residence card in his belongings, the police said. The worker remained in custody for over five hours until he +was freed around 11:30 p.m.
Undisclosed
The police did not disclose the man’s nationality or age. They said they have apologized to him.
“We will take measures after analyzing the case,” an official of the Iwate prefectural police said.
Immigration authorities issue residence cards to foreign nationals staying in Japan for at least three months, in principle. The cards include information, such as their work eligibility and visa status as well as their name and date of birth.
