MINISTER OPENS 2ND MALAYSIA-AUSTRALIA WORKING GROUP ON PEOPLE SMUGGLING
24 February 2010
Minister for Home Affairs Brendan O’Connor today opened the second meeting of the Malaysia-Australia Working Group on People Smuggling and Trafficking in Persons.
Mr O’Connor said great progress had been made since the inaugural meeting in Kuala Lumpur last August.
“Increased cooperation and intelligence sharing has played a vital role in developing an understanding of, and solutions to, the factors underlying people smuggling activities in the region.
“I particularly commend Malaysia on its intention to criminalise people smuggling and their recent successes in disrupting people smuggling activities,” Mr O’Connor said.
People smuggling is not just an issue for Australia – it is a global and regional problem. Regional cooperation is critical to addressing this most serious issue.
Following the working group, a number of inter-country activities are planned for 2010. This includes a law enforcement cooperative development program, a Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency study tour to observe Border Protection Command operations and a Joint Visa Integrity Workshop.
Mr O’Connor said these initiatives present a good opportunity for our two countries to learn from each other.
“The results of Australian agencies’ engagement with their counterparts at all levels of government have been promising and the Australian government looks forward to continued cooperation with Malaysia.”
Contact: Brian Humphreys 0438 595 567 or Customs and Border Protection media (02) 6275 6793
