## ② Review of the Organizational Structure of the Immigration Control Offices

With respect to the organizational expansions in FY 2013, the new residency management system introduced as a result of the enforcement of the amended Immigration Control Act on July 9, 2012 required the Minister of Justice to organize information on mid to long-term residents and keep such information accurate and updated. Accordingly, the Fourth Investigation Department was newly established in the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau to maintain the framework for conducting investigations into the facts relating to those matters notified in relation to mid to long-term residents.

In addition, the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) was introduced in January 2005 to conduct analysis by verifying passenger information transmitted by airline companies in advance against information on foreign nationals on blacklists held by the authorities. In and after November 2007, foreign nationals are required to provide biometrics information (facial photographs and fingerprints) at the time of the landing examination. If the fingerprint data of a foreign national provided at the time of landing examination is judged to be similar to the fingerprint data of any foreign national on blacklists held by the authorities, specialist officials conduct fingerprint investigations to determine whether or not such foreign national's fingerprints match fingerprint data of foreign nationals on blacklists. Reflecting recent increases of those operations, the new residency management data division was established in the Narita Airport District Immigration Office of the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau to centrally process inquiries from airports and seaports across Japan on a round-the-clock basis.

Furthermore, due to a sharp increase in the number of applications for recognition of refugee status in Japan, one more supervising inspector was added to the Judgment Division of the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau processing approximately 90% of the refugee objection filings throughout Japan, thereby improving the system in which refugee objection filings could be appropriately processed.

Further, most branch offices (including branch offices of district immigration offices) of regional immigration bureaus were located within the area of seaports, based on the historical background that they were originally established for immigration examination of crew members and passengers on ocean-going vessels. Now, as the primary means of international transportation shifted from vessels to aircraft, immigration examinations at airports became the main service, and as foreign nationals residing in Japan for a long time increased, the Ministry has proceeded to reorganize, integrate or scrap branch offices at seaports to respond to the foregoing change in administrative needs, and has made efforts to re-allocate branch offices by establishing them at local airports where many international flights arrive, places where prefectural offices are located, and other major cities. (Table 52)

As a result, the number of branch offices established in the country through reorganization of regional immigration offices into regional immigration bureaus, which was 103 as of April 1, 1981, is 61 as of April 1, 2013. The establishment of at least one regional immigration bureau or office in each prefecture has been achieved, while branch offices have decreased by about 40% from 1981.

Those branch offices should not only improve convenience for foreign nationals who come to submit various applications or reports but also enhance close cooperation with related local organizations, such as the police, in collecting information on illegal and imposter residents. With a view to enhancing cooperation with local authorities and related organizations which accept foreign nationals who intend to reside in Japan for a medium and long term, it is necessary to continue rationalizing and streamlining the organizational structure, with the aim of ensuring smooth and proper processing, including immigration examination, residence examination, and collection of information on offenders in violation of the Immigration Control Act, and establishing a more comprehensive framework for branch offices. In FY 2013,