ASEAN meeting on immigration and consular affairs opens in Nha Trang

The conference is an important event as it marks the increasingly close co-operation between ASEAN member states, as well as immigration and consular agencies of the regional grouping, thereby showing the determination to join hands in building a united, strong, and prosperous ASEAN community.

DGICM 27 will focus on challenges to the immigration and consular affairs work, with the aim of building a common ASEAN house that stays firm in any circumstances, said the Immigration Department at the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security.

It also marks the tightened co-operation between immigration and consular affairs agencies in the bloc, while offering an opportunity for Vietnam as hosts to demonstrate its responsibility as a DGICM member, thereby contributing to building an ASEAN of unity and solidarity.

The DGICM was first held back in 1996, following an annual meeting mechanism and rotating hosting, as a forum for ASEAN members to discuss issues of shared concern and share their relevant experiences in immigration and consular management.

The conference also proposed initiatives, measures, and mechanisms aimed at boosting immigration ties within and outside the bloc as a contribution to facilitating citizens' travel and combating illegal immigration.

The country has participated in and become a member of the DGICM since 1997 and has always demonstrated a high sense of responsibility in its activities. The country has hosted the DGICM twice, in 2003 in Hanoi and 2013 in Ho Chi Minh City, receiving positive reviews from ASEAN and important partners outside the regional bloc.

In his opening speech, Deputy Minister of Public Security of Vietnam Lieutenant General Pham The Tung emphasized that in recent years the nation has closely co-ordinated with ASEAN member states, especially Australia, an important partner outside ASEAN, in the fight against illegal immigration.

Currently, the nation has issued e-visas to citizens of all countries and territories, regardless of the purpose of entry, without the need for individual or organisational sponsorship and it is allowed to stay up to 90 days. The country has completed the electronic passport project and implemented automatic immigration control at international airport border gates.

Members of the bloc have effectively carried out visa exemption agreements for ASEAN citizens holding ordinary, official, and diplomatic passports. Travel within the bloc is quite convenient, but there remains plenty of work to be done so that citizens of ASEAN member states can travel freely without facing restrictions.

During the three-day conference, there will be six important meetings and forums held discussing issues sch as the management of major border gates in ASEAN, mechanisms and measures for exchanging immigration information within ASEAN, trends and challenges of crimes of illegal immigration in the region, experience in immigration and consular management, training co-operation programme between ASEAN and Australia, and a co-operation programme between ASEAN and +3 countries (China, the Republic of Korea, Japan).

There are also sideline bilateral meetings and exchange programmes planned to enhance friendship and linkages between ASEAN member states and non-ASEAN partners.

Vietnam, as the host country, pledges to create the most favourable conditions for the 27th DGICM to achieve a great success.