RI, Australia ministers intensify cooperation against people smuggling

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 06/04/2009 5:01 PM  |  National

Justice and Human Rights Minister Andi Mattalatta and Australian Minister for Home Affairs the Hon. Bob Debus met here Thursday to intensify cooperation between the two countries against people smuggling and other forms of irregular migration.

The Australian embassy in Jakarta said in a statement that the two ministers indicated that the cooperation would include enhancing arrangements for the care and support of intercepted irregular migrants in Indonesia, detention management, mutual legal assistance and training for immigration and law enforcement agencies.

The statement said the ministers affirmed that the new measures would further build on current cooperation to identify people smugglers, intercept people smuggling ventures, and prosecute organisers.

The measures would also assist in providing support for irregular migrants, including through the vital work of international organisations carried out in consultation with Indonesia and Australia, and to protect irregular migrants from people smuggling ventures.

The ministers welcomed the opportunity to reaffirm their shared leadership of the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime and to continue to work together to develop regional responses to irregular migration issues, the statement said.

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