APFS held its regular general meeting.

The APFS General Meeting was held at the APFS office on June 9, 2024. The meeting included a report on the activities of 2023, specifically the content of the consultation services. Consultations were received from both legally and illegally residing individuals, with many concerning residence status. It was also explained that there were many cases involving multiple issues, including refugee application procedures, medical care, taxes, and children's education. Six individuals (two families) supported by APFS last year received special permission to stay in Japan. All of these families had 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 of last year. In one of the two families, only the mother and children received special permission, while the father remained on provisional release. It was stated that APFS will continue to provide support to ensure the father can also obtain special permission so that the family can live together.
Aside from counseling activities, it was reported that they held a "Counselor Training Course" over six sessions, an event that had been suspended for the past few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was also mentioned that two participants from the course have now joined APFS's activities as volunteers. In addition, it was explained that they also provide food assistance, medical assistance, and educational expense assistance as part of their grant programs. Although their finances are in deficit almost every month, it was reported that they are able to maintain the organization somehow by receiving grants that can cover some of their fixed costs, as well as one-time donations from groups and individuals who are interested in donating.

It was announced that while the focus of activities in fiscal year 2024 will continue to be on consultations, plans for holding study sessions and symposiums are currently being formulated. However, it was reiterated that money is essential for everything, and the financial situation remains challenging. The cooperation of board members and regular members (such as renewing membership fees, raising awareness of APFS among others, and soliciting donations) was emphasized.

Although there were only six attendees, seeing people from various countries such as Bangladesh, Myanmar, Ghana, and Japan exchanging opinions for APFS gave me a real sense of what APFS is all about.