Indonesian and Australian Immigration Agencies Discuss Strengthening Regional Security

The Indonesian Directorate General of Immigration and Australia discussed strengthening regional security at the 21st DGICM + Australia Consultation forum held in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The forum was co-chaired by Indonesian Director General of Immigration Hendarsam Marantoko and First Assistant Secretary (Immigration) of the Australian Department of Home Affairs Damien Kilner. Hendarsam emphasised the importance of synergy between ASEAN member states and Australia in maintaining regional stability. “We hope this forum can provide a new direction for a more solid ASEAN-Australia partnership in responding to border dynamics, by building mutual trust and information openness,” Hendarsam said. He noted that ASEAN and Australia are developing more robust operational standardisation on the front lines of immigration and border control. Improving border facilities was a key focus of the meeting. Currently, Indonesian and Brunei Darussalam citizens have been granted easier access to SmartGate facilities in Australia. Meanwhile, member countries such as Cambodia, Laos PDR, and the Philippines highlighted increasingly complex security challenges requiring integrated regional coordination. These challenges include irregular migration, trafficking in persons, people smuggling, and the rise of online scam operations. To address these digital challenges, Singapore and Australia initiated a new area of cooperation through the use of data and artificial intelligence. “This technology is targeted at modernising immigration services and strengthening screening capacity at border gates,” he explained. The meeting also resulted in an agreement to continue the ASEAN-Australia Programme of Work for the 2026–2027 period through various regional capacity-building programmes. Hendarsam explained that the work programme is highly relevant to the dynamics of transnational crime currently facing the region. “ASEAN-Australia cooperation is important to strengthen regional capacity and resilience in facing changes in migration patterns, labour mobility, transnational crime, people smuggling, human trafficking, and the misuse of immigration channels,” he said. He added that Indonesia is committed to hosting the Cyber Resilience Programme in August 2026. This programme uses a train-the-trainer approach to strengthen frontline officers’ preparedness for cybercrime risks often linked to transnational networks. In addition to Indonesia, other strategic programmes being maintained include the Border Control Agency Management Programme in Vietnam, the Investigative Interviewing Programme in the Philippines, and Document Examination and Facial Comparison Training in Malaysia. As a future strategic step, Indonesia officially expressed its readiness to host the 22nd DGICM + Australia Consultation in Bali in 2027. Logistical and substantive preparations will be made early to advance various priority immigration agendas at the regional level. At the end of the meeting, Hendarsam conveyed Indonesia’s commitment and invited all delegations to attend the meeting in Bali. “Indonesia is ready to host the 22nd DGICM + Australia Consultation in Bali in 2027. We will use this opportunity to advance priority agendas,” Hendarsam said, adding that the priorities include secure information sharing, immigration data interoperability, cyber resilience, data and AI, migrant worker protection, and operational cooperation against online scams and transnational crime. The 21st DGICM + Australia Consultation was part of the 29th DGICM series held in Cambodia from 22 to 25 June 2026.