Japan and Malaysia to Open Borders for Foreign Students
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Japan's top government spokesperson said he expects that a significant number of foreign students now waiting to enter Japan may be able to do so by late May.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno Hirokazu was speaking about Japan's anti-coronavirus border restrictions on Wednesday.
New entries of foreign visitors, excluding tourists, resumed on March 1 for the first time in about three months.
Starting next Monday, the daily cap on arrivals from abroad will be raised to 7,000. The government is also planning to treat foreign students preferentially, using vacant seats on flights on weekdays, when there are fewer visitors traveling for business.
Matsuno said an estimated 150,000 people are waiting to enter despite having been given permission to study in Japan. He said it is extremely important to allow their entry, in terms of building friendly ties with other countries and raising Japan's educational and research capabilities.
He said the government will work to ensure foreign students can enter Japan smoothly and steadily. He suggested that many such students will be able to enter by late May, either by using the preferential scheme or the usual framework.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced on Tuesday that the country would reopen its borders to international travellers from April 1, 2022.
Those who are fully vaccinated will not need to quarantine upon arrival. Travellers must take an RT-PCR test two days before flying, and a rapid test (RTK) upon arrival in Malaysia.
Yaakob said the government’s decision on Malaysia’s border opening – from April 1 – is part of their “Transitioning to Endemicity” phase.
“This move will revive the country’s economy, especially the tourism industry that has been heavily affected by the pandemic. The decision is made based on science and current facts related to COVID-19, as well as the reopening of borders in other countries,” he was quoted saying.
“The country also wants to provide comfort to travellers and to not complicate their travel process. Most importantly, Malaysia is now a destination that is open and can be visited by all,” said Yaakob during a press conference in Parliament.
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