The RSO was pleased to fund a regional dialogue hosted by the International Organisation for Migration, which brought together government officials from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand to exchange experiences, best practices and challenges in promoting safe, orderly and regular migration and protecting migrants’ rights.
Priorities discussed over the three-day workshop which ran from 21-23 September, included strengthening access to protection services for migrants; reinforcing legal frameworks for counter-smuggling and trafficking; identifying pathways for dignified return and readmission; and implementing alternatives to immigration detention.
Elena Bartoloni, Program Coordinator for Policy and Partnerships Projects at the RSO, highlighted the important role strengthening partnerships and inter-nation cooperation plays in effectively managing irregular migration. She highlighted RSO tools, projects and trainings that support Bali Process Members in addressing irregular migration.
Migration in South-East Asia continues to grow, with some 10.6 million migrants in the region in 2020. Migration from within the region itself now accounts for two-thirds of total migration – and enabling strong communication and cooperation on migration management will continue to play a crucial role – as countries grapple with pressures from labour migration and regional displacement.
Protecting migrant rights is also particularly timely as international borders reopen, and countries recover from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and address the impact on vulnerable migrant populations – who faced greater risk of losing employment, means to return home, and vulnerability to trafficking and people smuggling.
All RSO tools can be found here: bit.ly/3RGOOXf
