Int'l summit acknowledges people smuggling as joint problem
Updated
An international summit in Bali has acknowledged the need for greater cooperation in the fight against people smuggling. And there was a particular focus on the Rohingya people from Burma - and people from war torn countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan. It's thought that these people are especially vulnerable to human traffickers.
Presenter: Michael Cavanagh, Canberra
Speaker: Senator Chris Evans, Australian immigration minister
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MICHAEL CAVANAGH: It was acknowledged that countries acting alone cannot combat the crime. There needs to be multilateral cooperation. Australia's Immigration Minister, Senator Chris Evans one of three Australian ministers attending the gathering says this includes the nations within the region having legislation that allows the prosecution of people involved in the crime. He says, so far, 18 countries have anti-people-smuggling laws and 26 with legislation that prosecutes trafficking.
EVANS: But we do need to complete that effort, make sure all the countries have adequate legislative bases for prosecuting these crimes.
CAVANAGH: So the country's going to go away from the conference almost with a template?
EVANS: It's not so much a template but it is important that each of the countries have a prosecutable offence of people-smuggling and peopletrafficking and that does then allow us to track down and charge those running these sorts of rings. I mean, one of the problems we've had is that people seek refuge, if you like, in countries which don't have that sort of legislation, and, as you know, we've got really good cooperation with Indonesia, but we've also had difficulty in that regard in Indonesia's legal system doesn't allow for the prosecution for theoffence of people smuggling. But they are being very cooperative and we're doing the best we can under the current legislative arrangements. But it would be preferable if there was stronger, direct people-smuggling legislation in Indonesia and they've certainly committed to looking to that.
CAVANAGH: Are there any other countries, though, that are still dragging the chain despite the push for greater cooperation?
EVANS: Look, there's no doubt that commitment to these issues varies among countries, but the pleasing thing is that people have got into this process, they have recognised the common problems and they are prepared to take action. One of the issues, obviously, at this meeting has been the treatment of Rohingyas out of Myanmar. Myanmar was represented at the meeting and they've got a very strong message, I suppose, that one of the concerns is that you've got to look at what's occurring in the source country. Why are people fleeing? And I think the ASEAN countries have made it clear, certainly, that the proper treatment of the Rohingyas is central to preventing mass movement of Rohingyas fleeing Myanmar.
CAVANAGH: Is the Myanmar representative willing to concede there is a problem?
EVANS: Well, I think there has been progress made. There has been a consideration of the issue. Unless we remove the incentive for people to leave, then we won't be able to tackle these issues.
CAVANAGH: It's a huge business. It's comparable to the narcotics trade, and yet the penalties and efforts by other countries are probably not the same as what's channelled into the stemming of the flow of narcotics. Is that the sort of approach that's got to be taken?
EVANS: Look, I think it does need to be treated in that sort of way, with that sort of seriousness, but I think it's fair to make the point that for a lot of countries they have perhaps millions of unlawful persons living inside their country, and so they view movement of people in small numbers in quite different way to the way we do. But I think what this conference has done is to highlight the commonality of those at the source countries, transit countries and destination countries and the joint realisation that we all share the same problem and that we have to combat it through all the means at our disposal.
