(MENAFN) Japan abruptly ended its Africa Hometown initiative on Thursday, following a surge of misinformation that falsely portrayed the program as a covert immigration scheme aimed at importing African labor to combat domestic workforce shortages.

The initiative, led by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), had paired four Japanese municipalities with four African nations to foster cultural and social engagement. However, backlash mounted after misleading reports circulated, alleging the project involved a special visa plan to bring in African migrants.

Authorities moved swiftly to reject those claims, clarifying that the program was never designed to facilitate migration.

"JICA believes that the very nature of this initiative – namely, the term 'hometown' and the fact that JICA would ‘designate’ Japanese local governments as 'hometowns' – led to misunderstandings and confusion within Japan, placing an excessive burden on the four municipalities," the agency said in an official statement. "JICA sincerely apologizes to the municipalities involved for causing such situation."

In response to the public confusion, JICA emphasized its longstanding position on immigration: "JICA has never undertaken initiatives to promote immigration and has no plans to do so in the future."

Despite the program's termination, the agency confirmed its commitment to global outreach, stating it will continue to back international exchange initiatives moving forward.

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