Roundtable Discussion on ‘Managing Cross-Border Movements of People: Promoting Capacity and Response for Irregular Migration’

Date: 19-20 November, 2012

Venue: Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay

Organised by: RSIS Centre for NTS Studies

	Credit: digital.democracy/flickr

Most migration occurs within legitimate legal and policy frameworks. However, increasingly, new forms of irregular migration are developing that existing policies and laws are not able to address. Irregular migration – that is, the movement of people outside the regulatory norms of the countries of origin, transit or destination – represents one of the greatest challenges to the ability of states to effectively manage migration.

Every country in Southeast Asia is affected by irregular migration whether as a country of origin, transit or destination for victims. Of particular concern to the region are undocumented labour migration and human trafficking, and these areas have extensive national laws relating to the issue. However, there may be gaps in these laws that are unable to address other forms of movement, particularly refugees, asylum seekers and climate change-induced migrants.

Against this backdrop, the RSIS Centre for NTS Studies is hosting a closed-door Roundtable Discussion on ‘Managing Cross-Border Movements of People: Promoting Capacity and Response for Irregular Migration’ on 19–20 November 2012 to address the conceptual ambiguities on irregular migration and emerging trends in movements of people, as well as assess existing responses to the broad range of movements of people in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Roundtable Discussion aims to do the following: (1)  increase understanding on the nature and scope of emerging irregular migratory movements; (2) examine the varying impacts of different typologies of irregular migrants; (3) examine the types of responses to the phenomenon from human-centric and state-centred approaches, including the adequacy and effectiveness of the respective legal, policy, institutional, operational and management frameworks and exploring ways of enhancing such frameworks; (4) identify the gaps of existing responses to the changing phenomenon of irregular movements of people; (5) examine the efficacy of regional agreements such as the Bali Process; and (6) analyse the possibilities of increasing the legitimate space for addressing irregular migration beyond existing measures.

Click here for the tentative programme.