According to data collected by UNHCR, in 2024, more than 7,800 individuals embarked on dangerous maritime journeys in Asia, of whom 650 are reported to be missing or to have lost their lives.  

Individuals undertaking these dangerous migration journeys often experience gender-based violence, deprivation of food and/or water, theft, fraud, extortion, and medical issues. Journeys may result in detention without due process or indefinite detention. The exacerbated vulnerabilities of migrants enhance their chances of falling victim to being trafficked into forced labour, forced marriage, or other situations of exploitation. 

The policy roundtable provided an opportunity to engage in evidence-informed dialogue and learning exchange on policies and processes addressing data on people going missing along dangerous routes, search and identification, and family support at global, regional and national levels. Delegates called for increased policy coherence in Asia on disappearances and deaths along hazardous routes, supported by integrated family support measures. 

Jodie Bjerregaard—Mekong Regional Director of Australia’s Department of Home Affairs, Iori Kato—IOM Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, and Fuad Adriansyah—RSO Co-Manager (Indonesia) opened the roundtable, highlighting the plight of people going missing along dangerous migration routes as a humanitarian crisis for the region, and a shared responsibility to support safe migration routes, and provide support to those affected.

A key topic of discussion was the importance of providing a legal identity and legal documentation for all, which in turn provides a foundation for safe and reliable family tracing, reunification and verification.  

During the panel discussion on Access to Legal Identity and Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS), David Scott, RSO Co-Manager (Australia) stated that providing a legal identity for all is a cornerstone of protection. It ensures that individuals are recognised in the eyes of the law, providing access to essential services such as healthcare, education, and justice. 

Ensuring all children receive official birth certificates provides evidence of legal identities, and access to basic biodata and parentage information—which can facilitate family tracing or reunification.   

Civil status documentation of key milestones such as marriages, divorces and re-marriages is critical for verifying family composition and optimal care arrangements for children at risk. Death registration (including the issuance of death certificates to families) is a core element of providing families clarity and closure as to the status of relatives who may otherwise be indefinitely considered as ‘missing’.  

Delegates highlighted the importance of inclusivity in civil registration systems and the role of technology in expanding coverage and streamlining processes to make the registration of vital events of a person more accessible and accurate.  

Participants discussed the complex processes and multistakeholder response involved when people go missing or lose their lives during dangerous journeys. A major concern discussed was the processing of unidentified remains of deceased people, which places a heavy burden on national systems of countries of transit and destination.  

The necessity for enhanced data-sharing mechanisms between origin, transit, and destination countries, through standardised identification procedures and improved cross-border data sharing were proposed as ways to facilitate the identification and dignified treatment of deceased migrants and refugees during dangerous journeys.  

Moreover, participants identified gaps in the capacity of frontline and other relevant officials, which need to be addressed to ensure the dignified treatment of missing and deceased people taking dangerous journeys.

Participants identified gaps in current migration data collection methodologies, revealing that official records likely underrepresent the true scale of fatalities along dangerous migration routes in Asia. With over two-thirds of recorded fatalities remaining unidentified, a coordinated effort is needed to ensure that all recovered bodies are properly documented, and families are informed of their loved ones’ fate. 

Drawing on promising practices developed in the African region under the Rabat Process, a Euro-African dialogue on migration, participants discussed how collaboration in the Asia region can be enhanced to improve the response to people going missing along dangerous routes and provide information for families, particularly through the establishment of a network of focal points to support information exchange.  

Day two of the roundtable marked a shift towards more practical, frontline perspectives through a routes-based lens, as participants shared their experiences and insights across key stages of the migration journey.  

Focused discussions covered the challenges faced prior to departure, during transit, at the border, and upon arrival/disembarkation. Through a structured discussion participants proposed recommendations and prescribed actions to strengthen Asia’s response to the issue of migrants and refugees going missing along dangerous routes.  

As an area previously under-addressed at the regional level, the roundtable marked an important first step in policy discussions on missing migrants and refugees and regional cooperation for the region.