Chair'S Statement Of The 4th Asem Directors General Meeting On Management Of Migratory Flows Between
(Nusa Dua, Bali, 5-7 December 2005)
1.The 4th ASEM Meeting for Directors General on Management of Migratory Flows between Europe and Asia was held in Bali, Indonesia on 5-7 December 2005, hosted by Indonesia and with the co-sponsorship of China, Denmark, Malaysia, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom and the European Commission. The Meeting was opened by H.E. DR. Hamid Awaludin, Minister of Law and Human Rights of the
2.The 4th ASEM Directors General Meeting was the follow up to the previous meeting held in
1) biometric technology for document security;
2) implementation on immigration information-sharing especially on immigration intelligence information in terms of taking measures to combat transnational organized crimes;
3) implementation on cooperation to enhance border control management;
4) implementation on cooperation to facilitate management of legal migration; and
5) other issues of cooperation amongst ASEM partners and relevant international organizations with regard to the problems of those illegally present.
List of Indicative Topics appears as Annex B.
3.The Meeting recognized that globalization increases the complexity of migration. This complexity is faced by every country in the world including the members of ASEM. The Meeting committed to working together to tackle illegal migration on all respects, recognizing that this requires closer international cooperation. The Meeting therefore reaffirmed the importance of the ASEM Directors General for Immigration Meetings to address the issue. The Meeting noted that the ASEM partners' efforts to tighten border security and enhance migration management would also contribute to the fight against transnational organized crime and international terrorism.
4.The Meeting facilitated a thorough exchange of views and experience on biometric technology and explored its advantages, potential, weakness and issues of compatibility. The Meeting acknowledged the various degree of readiness among partners in applying this advanced technology. The participants viewed that the implementation of biometric technology is an important measure to confirm personal identity. Given the significance of biometric identifiers, the Meeting was encouraged by the implementation of such technology by a number of ASEM partners and appealed to others to implement it as soon as possible in accordance with the ICAO standards. The Meeting also explored possible cooperation involving ASEM partners concerning the technology and its interoperability including feasibility study on e-passport and immigration infrastructure capacity building. The Meeting acknowledged the significance of improving document security and making immigration processes more efficient and effective. The Meeting also discussed the possibility of cooperation and development between countries concerned in applying biometric technology and agreed the circulation and completion of a questionnaire on biometric technology should be an action following the Meeting. This information should be summarized and shared by July 2006.
5.The Meeting reaffirmed the importance of implementation on immigration information sharing especially on immigration intelligence matters in order to take urgent steps to prevent and combat the threat of terrorism and transnational organized crimes such as people-smuggling, trafficking in persons especially women and children, lost and stolen passport and travel document fraud, through effective institutional linkages and cooperation programs. Recognizing that trust is crucial to sharing intelligence information, the Meeting supported Indonesia's suggestion of establishing and ASEAN-wide immigration intelligence network as a practical mechanism for intelligence information exchange and that when relevant, information should be exchanged among ASEM partners. The Meeting also endorsed the principle of vital information being made available for migrants, thus limiting and preventing disinformation and exploitation by traffickers and organized criminal gangs. In respect of exchanging data on lost and stolen passports, the Meeting noted the existence of the Interpol database and recommended that all ASEM partners should endeavor to make use of that database for the purpose of exchanging data on lost and stolen passports. The Meeting attached importance to provide information to the existing database on a best endeavor basis by the end of 2006. Recalling the success of the previous seminar on travel document fraud, participants expressed the need to convene the second seminar on this subject in 2006.
6. Following useful presentations and discussions, the Meeting noted that there are both complexities and challenges as they affect public confidence and generate media attention and viewed the importance of implementing a holistic approach toward a fully integrated control such as securing borders, preventing illegal migrants through pre-entry control, handling immigration offenders and facilitating legal migration. The Meeting also confirmed that on cooperation in enhancing border control management there is an urgent need to further intensify cooperation in capacity-building bilaterally and at ASEM-wide levels covering best practice on the implementation of advance passenger information systems, technical and expertise assistance on border control devices and information systems, including biometric technology; risk assessment and successful strategies as well as training for immigration officers. These issues were identified as potential agenda items for the next ASEM meeting and/or the subject for smaller expert meetings.
7. The Meeting noted that cooperation in migration management offered concrete opportunities for ASEM-wide cooperation in facilitating management of legal migration as well as preventing illegal migratory flows. The Meeting discussed the facilitation of lawful migration of people, both skilled and low skilled. Discussion covered mobility of foreign business experts, intra-corporate transferees, and direct investors; tourism-related matters such as travel and travel advice; social visits and family reunification; students and professional development; and low skilled migration. Whilst discussing those matters, the Meeting reiterated the significance of developing migration policies to fight against illegal entry and measures to deal with immigration offenders to avoid undesirable social consequences and considered that the improvements on facilitating the mobility of people within
8. The Meeting discussed the issue of failed asylum seekers and identified problems that may arise such as illegal stay, social financial cost borne for instance by the hosting country. The Meeting encouraged all partners to closely work together including with relevant international organizations in creating a concrete ASEM-wide mechanism to address this issue. The Meeting noted the challenges posed by those illegally present and recognized the potential to further share experiences and, as noted by H. E. Mr. Hamid Awaludin, the need to tackle illegal migration including the issue of return. The Meeting supported efforts to establish bilateral and ASEM-wide solution and encouraged closer cooperation with relevant international organizations. The Meeting welcomed the previously agreed proposal to hold a separate seminar on readmission, to be sponsored by
9. The Meeting, considering the significance of ASEM Directors General Meeting, agreed that the ASEM Migration Contact Points should be more regularly used and updated in order to facilitate effective exchanges of information and experiences toward harmonizing management of migratory flows in
10. The Meeting welcomed
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