APFS regular general meeting held

On June 9, 2024, the APFS office held its regular general meeting. The content of consultation activities was reported for the fiscal year 2023. There were consultations from both legal and irregular residents, and most of the consultations were related to residence status. In addition, it was explained that there were many cases where multiple issues were mixed, such as refugee application procedures, medical care, taxes, and children's education. Last year, six people (two families) supported by APFS were granted special residence permission, all of which were households with children born and raised in Japan, and it was explained that this was likely due to the special measures announced by the Minister of Justice in August last year. It was reported that in one of the two families, only the mother and child were granted special residence permission, and the father remained on provisional release, and it was said that APFS will continue to support the father so that he can obtain special residence permission and live with his family in the future.
In addition to counseling activities, it was reported that they held six "Counselor Training Courses," an event that had been postponed for the past few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was reported that two of the course participants have now joined APFS' activities as volunteers. It was also explained that they also provide food assistance, medical assistance, and educational assistance as subsidy projects. Although the organization's financial situation has been in the red almost every month, they reported that they have been able to somehow keep the organization afloat by receiving grants that cover some of their fixed costs, and by receiving one-off donations from groups and individuals who have shown an interest in making donations.

It was announced that in 2024, the focus will continue to be on consultations, but plans are currently being drawn up for holding study sessions and symposiums. However, it was explained once again that money is the first step in doing anything, and the financial situation remains severe, and it was emphasized that the cooperation of directors and regular members (updating membership fees, spreading awareness of APFS to those around us, calling for donations, etc.) is necessary.

Although the number of attendees was small, at only six people, seeing people from various places, including Bangladesh, Myanmar, Ghana, and Japan, exchanging opinions about APFS gave us the feeling that it was APFS-like.