## (2) Strengthened Residence Management System of the Regional Immigration Bureaus such as the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau

In the light of the circumstances under which the number of foreigners residing in Japan increases year by year, the “Three-year Program for Promoting Deregulation (re-revised)” decided by the Cabinet in March 2009 mentioned the need for an overall review of the alien registration system and the residence management system to reinforce the checking system for foreign nationals after entering Japan. And accordingly the revised Immigration Control Act was enacted and promulgated in July 2009.

Upon the enforcement of the amended Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act on July 9, 2012, the new residency management system was introduced, under which, in lieu of conventional alien registration certificates, residence cards are issued to medium to long-term residents and special permanent resident certificates are issued to special permanent residents. These functions as a document for identity verification in the same manner as an alien registration certificate, and for medium to long-term residents, in particular, residence cards also function as a permit and are extremely significant for proving the identity of the relevant person, because at the time of granting permission to the change of the status of residence or renewal of the period of stay, or granting permission to various residence-related applications, regional immigration control offices prepare and issue new residence cards in lieu of affixing a seal on passports.

Under the alien registration system, alien registration certificates were issued at the counters of municipal government offices. However, as residence cards are prepared and issued at regional immigration control offices, their work load significantly increased after the introduction of the new residency management system.

Therefore, 20 immigration inspectors were additionally posted in bureaus and branches including the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau as staff working for the smooth introduction and implementation of the new system.

## (3) Strengthened System for Deportation Procedures of the Regional Immigration Bureaus such as the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau

Formerly, the information concerning residence of foreign nationals was managed dually, ascertained by municipalities under the Alien Registration Act and by the Minister of Justice under the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act. Upon the enforcement of the amended Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act in July 2012, the alien registration system was abolished and the majority stipulated therein was incorporated and all the information has come to be managed integrally by the Minister of Justice under the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act.

For the purpose of responding promptly and properly to inquiries from the police and other investigative authorities in terms of countermeasures against crimes and illegal foreign residents, the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau had long been responding to requests from investigative authorities nationwide around the clock. After the enforcement of the amended Immigration