Editing Department of Internal Affairs (section)

===21st century===
The [[National Emergency Management Agency (New Zealand)|National Emergency Management Agency]], which had been a business unit within the department since before [[World War II]], was transferred to the [[Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (New Zealand)|Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet]] in 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Changes to the functions of the Department of Internal Affairs {{!}} Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission |url=https://www.publicservice.govt.nz/resources/internal-affairs-changing-roles-functions/ |access-date=2022-07-06 |website=www.publicservice.govt.nz}}</ref> The Office of Ethnic Communities, originally a single part-time position within the department, became the new [[Ministry for Ethnic Communities]] in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ministry for Ethnic Communities |title=History of the Ministry for Ethnic Communities |url=https://www.ethniccommunities.govt.nz/assets/AboutUs/History-of-the-Ministry-for-Ethnic-Communities.pdf |access-date=7 July 2022 |website=Ministry for Ethnic Communities}}</ref>

The department has also gained responsibilities that previously belonged to other agencies. In 2009 the department took responsibility for government technology services from the [[State Services Commission]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Affairs |first=The Department of Internal |title=Press Releases - dia.govt.nz |url=https://www.dia.govt.nz/press.nsf/d77da9b523f12931cc256ac5000d19b6/0b03301bb1ee7fcccc2576110017e2df!OpenDocument |access-date=2022-07-06 |website=www.dia.govt.nz |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=New Zealand Government |date=2013 |title=Review of the State Services Commission |url=https://www.publicservice.govt.nz/assets/Legacy/resources/pif-ssc-review-aug2013.PDF |access-date=7 July 2022 |website=Public Service Commission}}</ref> The [[New Zealand Office for the Community & Voluntary Sector|Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector]] was transferred to the department from the [[Ministry of Social Development (New Zealand)|Ministry of Social Development]] in 2011.<ref>{{Citation |last=MSD |title=Communities are better able to support themselves - Ministry of Social Development |url=https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/corporate/annual-report/2010-11/communities-supporting-themselves.html |publisher=MSD |access-date=2022-07-06}}</ref> In 2021, the department gained the legal ability to process requests from people wishing to change their sex on their birth certificate, including to a non-binary marker, rather than them needing to go through the court system.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-15 |title=Self-identification law kicks in |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/492049/self-identification-law-kicks-in |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=[[RNZ]] |language=en-nz}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ministry of Justice. |title=Change the sex/gender on a birth certificate {{!}} New Zealand Ministry of Justice |url=https://www.justice.govt.nz/family/change-the-sexgender-on-a-birth-certificate/ |access-date=2024-06-19}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2023-06-14 |title=Change the registered sex on your birth certificate |url=https://www.govt.nz/browse/passports-citizenship-and-identity/changing-your-gender/change-the-registered-sex-on-your-birth-certificate/ |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=New Zealand Government |language=en-NZ}}</ref> In 2024, the government announced that the department would become the sole supervisor of the anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism regulatory system, taking over functions currently overseen by the [[Reserve Bank of New Zealand|Reserve Bank]] and [[Financial Markets Authority (New Zealand)|Financial Markets Authority]].<ref name="e031">{{cite web |date=22 October 2024 |title=Government to overhaul anti-money laundering regime |url=https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/government-overhaul-anti-money-laundering-regime |access-date=9 April 2025 |website=The Beehive}}</ref>

In mid-April 2024, the department experienced a backlog in processing [[New Zealand passport]] applications due to the installation of computer system upgrades in March 2024 and increased seasonal demand. Standard passport processing took eight weeks while urgent passport processing took three days. The number of passports processed dropped from 38,000 in February 2024 to half that number in March 2024.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cook |first1=Charlotte |title=New Zealand Passport system upgrades lead to longer processing times |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/514860/new-zealand-passport-system-upgrades-lead-to-longer-processing-times |access-date=17 May 2024 |work=[[RNZ]] |date=22 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240514075328/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/514860/new-zealand-passport-system-upgrades-lead-to-longer-processing-times |archive-date=14 May 2024|url-status=live}}</ref> On 14 May 2024, the department apologised for delays in wait times for processing passport applications.<ref>{{cite news |title=Internal Affairs apologises for lengthy passport delays |url=https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/05/14/internal-affairs-apologises-for-lengthy-passport-delays/ |access-date=17 May 2024 |work=[[1News]] |publisher=[[TVNZ]] |date=14 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240517024350/https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/05/14/internal-affairs-apologises-for-lengthy-passport-delays/ |archive-date=17 May 2024}}</ref>