In a new annoying to international students Hoping Japan, government officials said the country will allow only 87 overseas students next month.
The Secretary of the Chief of Cabinet, Hirokazu Matsuno, told the national media that the selected students, who are financed through the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, They will allow in the country because they must graduate within the year.
"We decided to allow them to enter the country, taking into account their individual circumstances from the perspective of the public interest and the urgency," he said.
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The ad comes, since the country addresses a tip in Covid-19 infections. On January 19, Japan reported more than 40,000 cases in one day for the first time, the load tripled, reported a week before, according to Nikkei Asia.
In an informative session with reporters, according to reports that the Government understands the importance of international students to the economy and research of Japan, and that it would continue to review their approach with respect to other students.
But the message seems not to have reassured many of those who expect. More than 28,000 people have signed a petition urging the government to reopen international students as soon as possible. googleg.cmd.push (function () googleg.display ("dfp-ad-article_in_article"););
In November, the students saw a flicker of hope when Tokyo said it would begin to allow its entry limited at the end of 2021. But before the month ended, the country had closed its borders to all international visitors, with concerns of propagation. Of the highly infectious omicron variant of Covid-19.
Davide Rossi, Founder of the Site Educationisnottourism.com, who has been advocating for the return of international students to Japan and is among those who have signed the petition. He called the recent government moves a "less exception of his rigid border rules".
"This is only 0.06 percent of the total number of students waiting to enter the country, some of them for two years," said Rossi, who estimated that around 147,000 students are waiting to enter Japan. "Disappointment is growing."
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The current approach unjustly penalizes international students, Rossi added .
"Most people in Japan can go out and enter, while only a minority is trapped in the limbo. If it's okay, to re-enter and re-enter Japan again, why not It's fine for the new entry, such as international students, workforce and spouses and dependents? "He said.
Rebecca Mazzocchi, a student of a Master of Italy studying environmental studies at the University of Sophia from Japan since September 2021, he tried to see the silver lining in the situation.
"For the government Even so, activate a plan to leave it, still very few, students could be a start to do something more on time for the spring semester," she said.
But she was not waiting too high. "We'll see what happens," said Mazzocchi. "However, I am preparing for alternative options if in the spring nothing has been moved."
