Mr. Chairman,

Your Excellencies,

Distinguished Delegates,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introduction

It is an honor to be here with you today at the Sixth Ministerial Conference of the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime. IOM is proud to have been associated with the Bali Process since its inception. I have had the honor of attending every Bali Ministerial consultation since I assumed my current post in October 2008; four altogether. It is reassuring that the Bali Process is continuing to try to retain its regular schedule of a ministerial meeting every two years.

I would like to congratulate the co-chairs (H.E. Ms. Retno Marsudi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Indonesia and H.E. Ms. Julie Bishop, Australia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs) for organizing this ministerial conference precisely at a time when migration has become a global issue and a “mega-trend” of the century.

In my brief scene-setting presentation this morning, I shall highlight three main points:

• Global migration trends;
• Asia-Pacific migration trends; and
• A “High-Road” forward

Before I begin my remarks, let me express IOM’s appreciation and congratulations to you all for the first Bali Declaration since its founding 14 years ago; and paragraph 14’s commitment to establish a consultation mechanism to respond to emergency situations such as last year’s Andaman Sea/Bay of Bengal crisis.

I. The global migration context

IOM has long held that migration is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be managed. Our simple thesis has been that – given all that we know – migration is:

• inevitable in the interconnected and interdependent world we, the international community, have created;
• necessary, if we are going to have the skills available to fill the jobs in order for economies to flourish; and
• desirable for the benefits it brings to countries of origin, transit and destination; but most of all to migrants themselves and their families.

This is IOM’s vision for a world in which migration is well-governed. The World Bank and IMF’s recent study concludes that those countries with migrant-friendly policies are more likely to succeed economically than those that do not.  

We live in an era in which there are more migrants than ever before; more than 1 billion if we take into account both internal and international migration (that is roughly 1 in every 7 persons in the world). And these numbers are probably underestimates. It is true that if all the world’s international migrants were to constitute themselves as a nation, this new nation would have a population slightly smaller than that of Indonesia and somewhat larger than that of Brazil. It is also true that every year international migrants from developing countries send back home well over USD 400 billion, roughly a migration “GDP” equivalent to the DGP of a small to medium-sized European country, thus contributing very significantly to the economic growth of their countries of origin. 

But it is also the case that, as we speak, the world is confronted with challenges of migration governance of unusual complexity and magnitude. We live in an era of unprecedented simultaneous complex and protracted humanitarian crises, stretching from the western bulge of Africa to Southeast Asia with few areas of stability in between. There are people displaced by Boko Haram in Nigeria and its neighboring countries, by ethno-religious rivalries in the Central African Republic, by power struggles in South Sudan, multi-layered civil wars in Syria and Yemen, as well as conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Ukraine. Were that not bad enough, there are at present no viable political or properly established negotiating processes offering reasonable hope that these crises might be resolved in the short to medium term.

As [Indonesian] Foreign Minister Marsudi said at dinner last night: “we face new challenges; and the Bali Process is more relevant than ever.” Despite this somber backdrop, there are strong indications of the international community’s desire to address migration with renewed purposefulness and determination.

Four important conferences in 2015 set the wheels in motion; all featured migration in their declarations:

• The Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction;
• The UN Summit on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs and the 2030 Agenda);
• The Addis Conference on Financing: and
• The Paris Climate Conference (COP 21)

They will be followed by six other landmark events in 2016:

• UNHCR’s High Level Meeting on Syrian Refugees in Geneva on 30 March
• The World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul on 23-24 May
• The UNGA High Level Meeting on Large Displacements of Refugees and Migrants on 19 September
• President Obama’s Refugee Pledging Conference on 20 September
• The United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) in Quito, Ecuador in October; and
• The GFMD at Dhaka, Bangladesh in December

It remains to be seen whether is “defining moment” or period of deep uncertainty with no end in sight. This unique alignment of migration-related conferences will help us to grasp the opportunity to develop a comprehensive global approach managing migration. A global approach must then be matched by complementary regional efforts. Which leads to my second point: a brief migration situation in the Asia-Pacific region.

II. Migration in the Asia-Pacific Region

A. International migration is a major driver of social and economic change in the Asia-Pacific Region. It is expected that migratory activity will increase in years to come, in parallel with economic growth and especially as a consequence of the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). The current ASEAN population is estimated to be some 600 million, at least 6 million ASEAN citizens live within the ASEAN area but outside of their country of origin.

B. Temporary labour migration is the dominant migratory activity, practiced for the most part by low- and semi-skilled workers. All countries are affected by these flows, whether as countries of origin, transit or destination. Both regular and irregular movements can be observed. There are, for instance, large active migration corridors, e.g., (a) between South Asian countries and South East Asian countries; (b) between South and South East Asian countries and the Gulf States; (c) within the Greater Mekong Sub-Region; and (d) smaller but well-travelled corridors between Pacific Islands and the large economic hubs of Australian and New Zealand.  

C. Forced migration is another important regional feature, both as a result of armed conflicts, climate change and natural disasters. Iran and Pakistan host some of the largest refugee populations in the world. In fact, Pakistan was for years the world’s largest refugee-hosting country. Recently, Turkey became the largest, owing to the Syrian conflict. Before the Syrian crisis, Afghanistan was, for more than three decades, the largest source of refugees in the word. Secondary movements remain a challenge. The region is particularly vulnerable to climate change-induced natural disasters – the latest of which were Philippine Typhoon Haiyan (2014), the Nepal earthquake (2015) and just last month Cyclone Winston in Fiji; and earlier, Vanuatu. The very future of Kiribati and the Maldives is threatened by climate change. But we need to ask ourselves – are some of our policies pushing migrants into the hands of smugglers? Is the lack of legal channels for migrants – unintentionally – subsidizing smugglers?

D. As in most other areas of the world, smuggling and trafficking networks are at the origin of substantial flows of irregular migration. According to a 2014  study undertaken jointly by  IOM and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and covering a sample of over 1,000 women, men and youth under 10 years or older, most of those trafficked end up in forced prostitution (29.9 percent), the fishing industry (25 percent) or the manufacturing sector (12.3 percent).  Figures separately compiled by UNODC for that same year, reveal that 25 percent of trafficked persons were victims of sexual exploitation, while another 64 percent ended up in other forms of forced employment. Asia-Pacific accounts for 15 percent of 40,000-50,000 trafficking cases each year but fewer than 1,000 cases led to convictions.

E. One last, but highly important feature needs to be emphasized. The world is now well supplied with migration-focused regional consultative processes of which the Bali Process is one. At present, IOM is hosting 18 of these RCPs. Not all of them are active or productive, but the very fact that they exist is evidence that governments know that migration can no longer be managed as a unilateral issue. The Asia-Pacific region is fortunately well-endowed with migration-related consultative mechanisms. ASEAN has worked on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers; SAARC Heads of States have agreed to cooperate to assure the safety, security and welfare of their migrant workers abroad. Senior immigration officials of Pacific island countries meet at regular intervals, with the support of IOM. The Bali Process has an enviable place among these consultative platforms. In the final part of this presentation I wish to focus on Bali’s role and, drawing on the Draft Ministerial Declaration that has been prepared, suggest some priorities of action.

III. Priorities for Action

A. Work towards a comprehensive framework

While we are all aware that the Bali process was set up primarily to address people smuggling, trafficking in persons and related transnational crime, it has become more and more apparent that these issues cannot be addressed in isolation. Efforts to respond to problems of irregular migration will be most effective as part of a comprehensive approach to migration governance.

B. Build government capacity to manage migration

It is of vital importance to develop, in particular, capabilities to monitor, identify and rescue migrants in distress and to provide effective assistance to victims of trafficking and smuggling.

C. Create more channels for labour migration

Beyond addressing the reasons why individuals turn to smugglers and traffickers, we have an opportunity to provide people with another option.Increasing legal avenues for labor migration in the region will help destroy the business model of the smugglers and traffickers. The expertise exists within our organizations and governments to provide alternatives; more legal alternatives, such as humanitarian visas, temporary protective status, short-term visas, seasonal worker visas, circulation migration, temporary re-location, resettlement and integration. Our visa laws in general have not kept pace with technological changes, the digital revolution and other advances changing the world.

Countries of origin also have their responsibilities to facilitate intra-regional labor mobility for those in search of better lives, and ensure the credibility of migration policies by meeting their obligations under the Palermo Protocol’s Article 18, to facilitate the return of smuggled migrants who are nationals or who have permanent residence in their respective countries.

D. Improve humanitarian Border Management

Through humanitarian border management, law enforcement agencies can be supported to ensure that their borders are safe, free from the abuses of human smuggling and trafficking, and providing access to protection to those with legitimate claims. This approach assists agencies to distinguish between criminals and victims in a humane and comprehensive manner. Two good recent examples of humanitarian border management are the six neighbors of Libya and the four neighbors of Syria who have given refuge to those fleeing these conflicts – and did so at their own expense.

E. Provide options for assisted voluntary Return and Reintegration

For those migrants who have been determined as having no need of international protection, or without any other legal right to remain, a range of options should be considered, including assistance to help them return home voluntarily, with reintegration support.I sympathize with the reasons why economic migrants risk their lives to find employment and a better life. I also recognize the need for a mechanism to assist them to return home if there are legal options for them to stay.

F. Reinforce efforts to combat people smuggling and trafficking  

Criminal networks employing human smugglers and human traffickers have been running a brutal and effective business in this region and in the world.The annual earnings of traffickers and smugglers are thought to be in the range of USD 35 billion. One of the recent “ghost ships” heading to Italy netted USD 2 million for the smugglers. A regional strategy must include mechanisms to address the root causes for these conditions and mechanisms to counter them. Unfortunately, despite a global alliance against traffickers and smugglers, we have hardly made any impact at all on arresting and prosecuting the kingpins in these criminal operations.

G. Conduct public education, awareness-raising and information campaigns in countries of origin, transit, and destination

Migration is a “noisy” and emotional topic. Public communities need to be helped to understand the place migration occupies in our contemporary world. The need to be made aware of the principles underlying our migration policies and how they serve the national interest. They need to know what channels of migration are available and which ones are not. They need to know what specific measures are in place to enable migrant workers to move and refugees to find protection and what integration services are available to both, but equally they need to be reassured that there are measures in place to deter and prevent abuse and exploitation.

H. Promote evidence-based policy formulation

There continues to be, in the field of migration, a lack of authoritative, accurate and up to date data. Renewed efforts are need to ensure that policy makers are in a position to make evidence-based decisions.

Conclusion

IOM believes that well-managed migration is one that follows a “high-road scenario” – one that respects the human rights of migrants, addresses the root causes of migration, and promotes safe and orderly mobility. The recommendations and proposals which will arise from this conference, to be embodied in the Ministerial Declaration, will move us closer towards that high-road scenario.

Thus, I wish to end my remarks by urging all of us to take the next step. Many good plans have fallen victim to lack of implementation, either due to lack of will or resources, often never leaving the paper on which it is recorded. I therefore call on all concerned parties to make every effort in ensuring that measures are taken to bring the recommendations from this conference into fruition and its accelerated implementation.  I take this opportunity to assure you of IOM’s unwavering commitment to support the implementation of the recommendations by the Bali Process.