By Bernama,
Melbourne : Australia’s Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, will depart for Southeast Asia tonight to to discuss regional cooperation on border security and anti people-smuggling initiatives with his counterparts in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore.
Evans and the Minister for Home Affairs Bob Debus will lead a senior Australian government delegation which includesAmbassador for People Smuggling Issues Michael Potts and senior officials from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, the Australian federal police and the Attorney-General’s Department for the eight-day trip.
“Strong migration management and border security in the region benefit all countries by facilitating travel and minimising the risk of people-smuggling, trafficking and irregular migration,” Evans said in a statement.
“Control and management of borders is integral to regional security and it takes the collaborative efforts of all countries in the region to ensure strong border security.”
The delegation will hold talks with Indonesian Minister for Law and Human Rights Andi Mattalatta in Jakarta tomorrow.
“Indonesia, along with Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore are key partners for Australia and our governments are committed to close, practical working relationships,” Evans said.
Following the talks in Indonesia, the delegation will travel to Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore to discuss border security, migration, humanitarian and tourism initiatives.