Intelligent-led decision-making and increased cooperation are needed to address irregular migration and protect vulnerable migrants.
Which is why Dr. Nenette Motus, the Regional Director for the International Organization for Migration’s Asia and the Pacific Region and Mr. Jeremy Douglas, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific affirmed the two organizations’ shared initiative to counter migrant smuggling and address irregular migration within the Asia Pacific region.
The joint venture will increase collaboration between the two UN agencies to develop evidence-based research on current and new smuggling trends, particularly in relation to travel document and identity fraud, and to build the capacity of law enforcement agencies in proven areas. The initiative is governed by the well-established 2012 cooperation agreement and the 2018 joint platform on the prevention of migrant smuggling between the two organizations.
The exchange of letters signed 20 months before the adoption of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and two protocols against trafficking in persons and immigrants.
Dr. Motus stated: “IOM welcomes this joint initiative which will build on the operational strengths of both organizations and benefit the Member States in the region. Irregular migration, in particular migrant smuggling, exacerbates vulnerabilities of those already facing perilous situations, often at the high cost of human lives and high profits for transnational criminal networks.”
Global travel restrictions in place due to the present unique COVID-19 pandemic have not deterred the movement of people. Instead, these limitations have in some instances led to an improvement in the smuggling of migrants from the various affected nations to more affluent addresses, according to an up-to-date UNODC report It is also likely that land, sea, and air border closures, have resulted in the use of more risky ways, and higher prices for smuggling services, exposing migrants and refugees to increased abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking. Moreover, undocumented migrants are individually vulnerable as the lack of constitutional status impedes additional mobility which may fuel the demand for smuggling services and exacerbate risks for migrants.
To approach migrant smuggling and irregular migration leveraging on respective operational strengths, IOM and UNODC have identified synergies including data-sharing platforms that the Member States in the region are currently utilizing. This action also supports key target countries to collect, share, and analyze data in order to identify regional patterns and modus operandi of irregular migration for the benefit of the border and other law enforcement agencies.
