Japan’s immigration authorities plan to crack down on visa overstayers and illegal foreign workers by monitoring social media and other platforms for information or leads.

The initiative is part of the country’s efforts to reduce the number of overstayers at a time when Japan is taking in more foreign workers due to labour shortages.

As early as next year, the Immigration Services Agency plans to use analytical tools to identify online information related to illegal work, including solicitations in foreign languages, establishing a unit dedicated to cyber patrols.

According to agency data, Japan had around 68,000 illegal stayers as of January, down around 6,000 from a year ago.

As part of a programme targeting overstayers, the agency aims to crack down on individuals who employ foreign workers without valid visas.

In a related move, the Ibaraki prefectural government, located northeast of Tokyo, recently launched a programme to reward individuals who report businesses that hire undocumented foreign workers. Tipsters will receive 10,000 yen (US$63) if their information leads to enforcement action.