PRESS STATEMENT
Apia, Samoa – March 22, 2024: The Pacific Immigration Development Community (PIDC) in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) successfully concluded its National Contact Points Profiling Group, and Maritime Group Information Sharing Regional Workshop on March 22nd, 2024. The 5-day event aimed to support information sharing practices crucial for managing irregular migration and securing borders across the Pacific region.
Bringing together senior immigration officers, managers, and directors from seaports and airports across the region, the workshop provided a platform for sharing experiences and enhancing efforts in targeted information exchange. Attendees gained insights into their collective roles as National Contact Points in protecting the borders of the region, as they learned from the experiences of their counterparts. For the first time, PIDC and UNODC Global Maritime Crime Programme also established in this workshop the Maritime National Contact Group for seaport Immigration officers to lead the monitoring of people movements in our ocean through cruise liners, yachting and others.
Throughout the week, participants engaged in discussions on border operations, national information sharing approaches, and regional threats such as human trafficking, people smuggling, identity fraud, and cybercrimes. Additionally, members were introduced to digital reporting tools and resources facilitating regional information sharing, which included tools the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other partners presented on.
Ms. Penelope Wilmot a Regional Border Training Officer under the Australian Border Force based in Fiji, delivered a session on immigration intelligence products and best practices, drawing from her extensive experiences in countering people smuggling in Asia. Emphasising the importance of collaboration and information sharing, Ms. Wilmot highlighted the interconnected nature of Pacific borders, stressing the need for collective action to address common challenges.
“Drawing from my experience in counter people smuggling in Asia, I’m passionate about sharing best practices for timely and effective intelligence analysis” she explained. “Collaboration and information sharing is crucial; otherwise, we’re isolated in our efforts. It’s important for Pacific nations to recognise that our borders are interconnected. By pooling resources and sharing information, we can address common challenges collectively. “
“I hope to empower countries to proactively enhance their information and intelligence gathering processes, particularly concerning the increasing global movement of people in the Pacific. Through my presentation, I aimed to create a deeper understanding of high-risk cohorts and emphasise the importance of analysis and regional collaboration in combating these issues.”
This year was the first time the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) facilitated a training session with members. Ms Sarah Mansour delivered a presentation on the obligations and expectations of signatories and non-signatory states to the UN 1951 Refugee Convention, protecting the rights of refugees and asylum seekers.
The participants reacted with a lot of interests to the presentation especially around refugees and asylum seekers – which are becoming challenging issues in the region. As Ms. Mansour anticipated, the session not only generated interests but also raised awareness of the common responsibilities and obligations of all states regardless of whether they are signatory of the UN 1951 Refugee Convention.
Reflecting on the workshop, Senior Immigration Officer Ipi Ieli from American Samoa acknowledged the importance of proactive measures in countering irregular migration and securing borders.
“This past week has been eye-opening, especially regarding border security against human and drug smuggling and its shown me that we need to be proactive in countering issues with irregular migration and securing our borders.” Said Ieli. “PIDC has provided valuable opportunities through this workshop and I have appreciated the variety in agencies who presented this year, they delivered very insightful workshops. I realize now that we need further training in interviewing incoming individuals to better enhance our intelligence quality and understanding the reasons behind border crossings.”
Mr. Akuila Ratu, Head Secretariat of PIDC, expressed his satisfaction at the successful event and extended his gratitude to the workshop facilitators and members,
“The PIDC workshop has provided a valuable platform for fostering collaboration and enhancing information sharing practices crucial for managing migration challenges in the Pacific region” he said. “Through engaging discussions and insightful sessions, participants have gained valuable knowledge and tools to strengthen border security efforts.” The Secretariat hopes all members have returned to their international borders with fresh and renewed commitment to collective action and collaboration, recognizing the interconnected nature of our borders and the importance of proactive measures in safeguarding our communities.”
The PIDC National Contact Points forum was created to foster transparent and effective communication, nurture genuine partnerships, and strengthen coordination and collaboration among our Pacific Immigration agencies, to strive for solidarity and unity on ways to address multifaceted challenges we face in the immigration spectrum.
ENDS
