TOKYO, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Japan's new Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law took effect on Tuesday, authorizing the government to fingerprint and photograph all foreigners aged 16 or over upon entering Japan at 126 ports and 27 airports.

    The law made Japan the second country following the United States to fingerprint and photograph foreigners.

    During inspection of Tokyo's Narita International Airport on Monday, Japanese Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama said the law could help block terrorists and repatriated foreigners from entering Japan.

    The procedure is to affect up to 7 million of the 8 million people entering Japan annually. The electronic system will send the information to the Justice Ministry's host computer, which will then check against a blacklist based on the Interpol and other institutions.

    The bill was put forward by the Japanese government in early March as part of its efforts to block terrorists from entering the country under false identities. It cleared the upper house and the lower house of the Diet in March and May respectively.

    The legislation includes a provision enabling the government to deport those judged by the justice minister to be terrorists and another term requires planes and ships arriving in Japan to submit passenger lists before arrival.

    It excludes ethnic Koreans and other permanent residents with special status, those visiting Japan for diplomatic or official purposes, and those invited by the state.

    The legislation has aroused opposition from some civil groups, which dismissed it as discriminatory, saying measures such as fingerprinting violate the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.