20-21 August 2025 • Jakarta, Indonesia
For most people around the world cross-border movements provide an opportunity to enhance their lives and achieve their goals. According to the latest data available from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) in 2024, 3.7 per cent of the world’s population were international migrants. Alongside these regular migrants, there are individuals who undertake irregular cross-border journeys and are still in irregular situations in countries of transit and/ or destination.
Economic pressures and conflict intertwined with other social, cultural, political, and environmental factors are primary drivers of irregular migration in Asia. Vulnerabilities created by these primary drivers are exacerbated by a lack of reliable information, making individuals more susceptible to trafficking in persons and related exploitation, gender-based violence, deprivation of basic needs, (indefinite) detention without due process, theft, fraud, and extortion.
A report published by the Regional Support Office of the Bali Process (RSO) titled, Community Perceptions and Information Needs of Persons at risk of Irregular Migration in Bali Process Member States, found that more than half of the individuals who venture on irregular journeys in South and Southeast Asia have unmet information needs prior to their journey.
With the intention of strengthening the capacity of Bali Process Members and Observers to develop strong, clear public messaging to respond to irregular migration and prevent loss of life during dangerous migration journeys, the RSO convened a two-day Regional Consultation on Addressing Irregular Migration through Effective Information Campaigns in Jakarta, Indonesia, bringing together 45 participants from 20 countries and organisations.
Held in Jakarta, Indonesia as part of the RSO Member State Spotlight on Indonesia, this Regional Consultation responds to a directive from the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Bali Process to work with affected Bali Process Member States to strengthen members’ strategic messaging capacities and to support coherent and coordinated delivery of public messaging to address irregular migration and counter trafficking in persons and people smuggling.
The Regional Consultation featured interactive group sessions and exercises during which the participants reviewed the existing Bali Process Handbook on Addressing Irregular Migration through Effective Campaigns and made recommendations to inform its refresh. Further, the participants engaged in a group activity where they developed public messages taking into consideration the different perspectives of countries of origin, transit, and destination when developing public messages addressing irregular migration, trafficking in persons, and people smuggling.
Participants made the following key recommendations to inform the refresh of the Bali Process Handbook on Addressing Irregular Migration through Effective Campaigns (Handbook):
- The content of the Handbook needs to be updated with the intention of making the guidance offered geared towards changing behaviours of persons at risk of irregular migration. Further, the Handbook be supplemented with existing examples, case studies, and scenarios with recent promising practices from Bali Process Member States.
- Participants recognised the importance of an in-person training to socialise the refreshed Handbook. Among ways identified to share the knowledge acquired through an in-person training with relevant peers within the agency are:
⇒ Sharing learning and reading materials provided during the training with peers. Participants preferred online learning and reading materials which can be shared easily.
⇒ Organising internal meetings, discussions, and brown bags to share the learnings of an in-person training.
- As a second phase, the participants recognised the value in developing a digital tool which will provide targeted information to the needs of each Bali Process Member State. The digital tool could be an online portal which allows Bali Process Member States to feed in relevant information and receive targeted guidance.
The recommendations of this Regional Consultation will inform the refresh of the Bali Process Handbook on Addressing Irregular Migration through Effective Campaigns.
This Regional Consultation provided an opportunity for the RSO to map Bali Process Members and Observers interested in contributing to RSO’s future work relating to the refresh of the Bali Process Handbook on Addressing Irregular Migration through Effective Campaigns.
The RSO will engage with these interested Bali Process members and observers to seek further inputs and review support as necessary during the upcoming drafting process for the new Bali Process Handbook on Addressing Irregular Migration through Effective Campaigns.
