Fact Sheet 73 - People Smuggling

Introduction

People smuggling is the organised illegal movement of groups or individuals across international borders using the services of trans-national people smuggling organisers, usually on a payment for service basis.

People smuggling is a lucrative, relatively low risk activity for people smugglers and is primarily the work of sophisticated and organised networks.

People use the services of people smugglers for many reasons, including to seek protection, because of limited opportunity for legitimate migration and to pursue economic opportunities.

Smuggling routes

People smuggling is a dynamic and fluid activity in which people smugglers and their clients go to great lengths to conceal their route and to protect the identities, methods and activities of the organisers.

Routes and methods of arrival change at short notice in response to actions to combat the practice.

Established smuggling routes link source countries in the Middle East, the Sub-continent, West Asia, South-East Asia and elsewhere, to regional hub airports of embarkation for Australia such as Bangkok, Singapore, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur.

Boats carrying irregular migrants to Australia have departed from Indonesia, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, China and Vietnam.

Measures to combat people smuggling

The Australian Government continues to strengthen Australia's response to people smuggling through a range of complementary initiatives.

• The Government is committed to strong border security arrangements and to measures to prevent people smugglers sending people to Australia.
• Australian agencies at overseas missions work closely to ensure a coordinated approach to prevent people smuggling. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship and all Australian agencies at posts maintain close ties with their local counterparts in South-East Asia to prevent people smuggling activities and to support displaced populations.
• The Government is determined to deal effectively and appropriately with the perpetrators of the heinous crime of people smuggling that puts lives at risk and weakens our immigration system.
• The Department of Immigration and Citizenship works closely with the Australian Federal Police to prosecute people smugglers.
• In the National Security Statement on 4 December 2008 the Prime Minister appointed the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (Customs) as the single point of accountability for matters relating to the prevention of maritime people smuggling.
• The co-location of agencies and capabilities in this way is a concept strongly supported by the Homeland and Border Security Review.
• The Government has reinvigorated efforts to work closely with regional countries to prevent and deter people smuggling and prevent attempts at dangerous sea journeys by people seeking to enter Australia unlawfully.
• The Government is looking to extend assistance to those countries to develop their capacity and enhance projects in home and transit countries to assist people displaced by conflict who may be vulnerable targets of people smugglers and traffickers.

People Smuggling by Air

The extent of people smuggling to Australia by air is difficult to determine. During 2007-08 424 people were refused immigration clearance on arrival at Australian airports, while 290 people were refused immigration clearance on arrival at Australian airports during 2006-07.

Some who are refused immigration clearance claimed Australia’s protection upon arrival. Other people who were granted immigration clearance claimed protection shortly after entering the Australian community. Many who claimed protection used the services of people smugglers to travel to Australia.

A total of 1598 people were refused immigration clearance on arrival at Australian airports during 2005-06, compared to 1632 in 2004-05.

People smuggling by sea

Despite significant efforts by our regional partners to prevent onwards movement of these people, inevitably some managed to get through, particularly the smaller groups that we have encountered. But numbers are nowhere near the numbers that arrived in 2000 and 2001.

• Six vessels carrying 60 irregular immigrants reached Australia during 2006
• In 2007 there were  five boats with 148 people
• In 2008, 161 people arrived on seven vessels.

The ‘Bali Process’

The Bali Ministerial Regional Conference on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime (Bali Process) is a multilateral initiative launched in 2002 aimed at combating people smuggling, trafficking and related transnational crime in the Middle East, Asia, and Pacific regions. While the Bali Process built on existing bilateral co-operation, its success is due to the active involvement of Ministers and law enforcement agencies from 42 countries.

As a consequence of initiatives from the Bali Process, regional countries have been active in preventing and deterring the activities of people smugglers and the movement of potential illegal immigrants towards Australia. A number  of other initiatives were also pursued which limited the capacity of people smugglers to successfully undertaker their activities. Nevertheless, people smugglers remain active in the region and in source countries and continue to target vulnerable people for possible movement to Australia.

Department initiatives

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship has put in place a range of initiatives to reduce the number of illegal entrants trying to enter Australia. These include:

• Stationing DIAC officers in Australia and at overseas posts who are specially trained to identify fraudulent documentation
• Assigning specialist compliance officers to a range of overseas posts in source or adjacent to source countries and along transit routes. They work with local immigration and other officials to identify and report on the activities of people smugglers and counter foreign nationals who may try to enter Australia illegally.
• Placing Airline Liaison Officers (ALOs) at key hub international airports with direct flights to Australia. ALOs work in an advisory capacity with airline staff and others to prevent the travel to Australia of incorrectly documented passengers and potential unauthorised arrivals. The ALO Program is a flexible initiative involving, generally, short-term placements of three to six months.
• Participating in cooperative activities at selected overseas airports aimed at stopping illegal entrants
• Close liaison with law enforcement agencies in Australia and overseas to investigate immigration fraud
• Frequent updates of the Movement Alert List (MAL)
• Pursuing an active and integrated program of bilateral, regional and multilateral engagement. This includes managing a program of capacity building to enable countries to strengthen border and visa systems and to detect and prevent irregular movements.

International fora

Australia is an active participant in a number of international programs that work to combat people smuggling. These include:

• the Inter-governmental Consultations on Asylum, Refugee and Migration Policies in Europe, North America and Australia (IGC)
• Asia-Pacific Consultations on Refugees, Displaced Persons and Migrants (APC)
• the Bali Ministerial Regional Conference on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime (Bali Process)
• the Pacific Rim Immigration Intelligence Officers Conference (PACRIM).

Further information is available on the department's web site.
See: www.immi.gov.au

The department also operates a national telephone service inquiry line.
Telephone: 131 881
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday from 9 am to 4 pm (recorded information available outside these hours) for the cost of a local call anywhere in Australia.

Fact Sheet 73. Produced by the National Communications Branch, Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Canberra.
Revised 20 May 2009.

© Commonwealth of Australia 2009.