Migration: Counting the human cost in Asia-Pacific

17-07-2014 Interview

Every year across Asia-Pacific, thousands of people embark on perilous journeys in search of a brighter tomorrow, risking detention and other ordeals. Sébastien Moretti, the ICRC’s migration adviser for the region, explains some of the challenges this phenomenon creates and how the organization seeks to respond.

What are the main humanitarian consequences of migration in Asia-Pacific?

Southeast Asia is characterized by what is termed mixed migration movements. People with varying needs and situations often travel together, using the same routes and means of transport. Some are fleeing their homes to seek asylum from conflict or persecution, while others are stateless, trafficked or unaccompanied and separated children. Of course, many leave in search of better economic perspectives. There are a wide variety of sometimes overlapping push and pull factors.

Since 2011, an estimated 88,000 people have been recorded traveling in unsafe boats across Asia-Pacific in search of a safe haven. 

The humanitarian consequences are considerable and of growing concern. Since 2011, an estimated 88,000 people have been recorded traveling in unsafe boats across Asia-Pacific in search of a safe haven. Accidents are frequent and many disappear at sea.

Migrants face hardships both in countries they transit through and once they reach their final destination. People considered irregular migrants may face arrest and deportation. They can sometimes remain in detention for years, in the case of stateless people for instance, if they lack proper documentation or if their stated country of origin refuses to take them back. All these situations can lead to the loss of links with their families and loved ones.

Unfortunately, this human cost is often overlooked or becomes a secondary consideration to security issues.

How should states factor in the human cost when managing migration movements?

While governments have a duty to protect their borders and respond to security concerns, the enforcement of stricter border controls can heighten the vulnerabilities of migrants. People may take more risks in a bid to circumvent official immigration channels, often resorting to smuggling networks or falling into the hands of human traffickers.

It is therefore essential that the measures adopted by states to manage migration movements integrate some essential humanitarian considerations. For instance, without a proper screening system, how can we be sure that people at risk of persecution, such as refugees, are not sent back to their country of origin, in violation of the principle of non-refoulement?

Should migrants such as minors be placed in detention?

The detention of irregular migrants pending their deportation is not per se prohibited under international law. However, in principle this should be a last resort and states should provide alternatives to detention when possible. In practice though, and not only in Asia-Pacific, most irregular migrants are usually detained pending deportation – a process that can take time.

The 1951 Refugee Convention states that refugees should not be penalized for irregular entry into a country. While in Southeast Asia only Cambodia and the Philippines have acceded to the convention, many other states provide de facto an alternative to detention to persons registered by UNHCR; most of them are living freely in the cities or accommodated in so-called community shelters.

Minors, and in particular unaccompanied minors, are very vulnerable and should not be detained for immigration purposes, except as a last resort. It is important to find alternatives such as shelters, where minors can benefit from support and assistance, notably access to education.

How does the ICRC help vulnerable migrants in Asia-Pacific and respond to the issue of those who go missing en route?

The ICRC focuses much of its efforts on bettering life for migrants in detention. It conducts regular visits to immigration detention centres in many countries across the region, working with the authorities to improve detainee treatment and conditions. We also help restore contact between detainees and their family members, and are looking at ways to provide further assistance to vulnerable migrants, where our expertise can make a real difference.

The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement can play a role by tracing family members or helping the authorities to identify victims. 

The case of migrants who disappear during their journeys, in particular at sea, remains a particular concern for the ICRC. Since 2012, some estimates suggest that more than 2,000 migrants may have died or disappeared at sea following boat accidents in Asia-Pacific. In such cases, many families live with the uncertainty of not knowing what has happened to their loved ones.

The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement can play a role by tracing family members or helping the authorities to identify victims. However, the difficulties and complexities of such a search continue to present a challenge in terms of how much we can do.

How can states at a regional level work to solve some of the issues around the migration phenomenon?

Migration is essentially a regional phenomenon and requires a collective and shared response. There have been some initiatives to tackle this issue of irregular migration at the regional level, such as the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime, or the conferences organized under the umbrella of the Jakarta Declaration on Addressing Irregular Movement of Persons (adopted in August 2013).

However, despite these initiatives, regional cooperation on issues of irregular migration remains challenging. Some states may be tempted to deal with migration movements bilaterally to shift the burden, without consideration for other affected states. Another challenge with cooperation at the regional level is ensuring that cooperation is not limited to measures to control or limit the irregular movements of people in the region; it is also important to develop a framework to ensure persons on the move are treated humanely under all circumstances.