Immigration Breakthrough in ASEAN: Indonesia Leads Fight Against Human Smuggling and Dismantles Criminal Networks

SIEM REAP —WorldWartaGlobal.Id

 Indonesia took center stage at Southeast Asia's highest immigration forum, The 29th DGICM, held in Siem Reap, Cambodia, from June 23 to 25, 2026. Addressing ASEAN delegates, Indonesian Director General of Immigration Hendarsam Marantoko unveiled three pillars of national strategy designed to fortify borders and combat transnational crime.

The comprehensive strategy focuses on strengthening border controls, tightening surveillance on foreign nationals, and fully integrating digital services.

Indonesia demonstrated the real-world impact of its technological framework. Utilizing the Foreign National Reporting Application (APOA), which integrates directly with the Indonesian National Police (Polri), authorities effectively dismantled an international criminal network.

This synchronized system led to the arrest of 210 foreign nationals involved in an online investment fraud syndicate in Batam in early May 2026. Border security has been similarly reinforced through risk-based analysis handled by the Passengers Analysis Unit (PAU) and the centralized Immigration Traffic Monitoring Center (ITMC).

"Supported by cross-agency collaboration, we can detect immigration violations and transnational crimes early—before, during, and after inspections," Hendarsam stated during his opening presentation.

Beyond regional defense, the Directorate General of Immigration brought a major proposal forward for Indonesian youths seeking work and holiday opportunities. During a bilateral meeting with Australia’s Department of Home Affairs (DHA), Indonesia proposed a complete overhaul of the Working Holiday Visa (WHV) registration procedure.

Immigration officials recommended implementing a Ballot System. This alternative is viewed as a fairer, more transparent, and highly efficient way to manage the massive volume of Indonesian applicants each year while eliminating exploitation risks.

Indonesia’s proactive regional role earned strong consensus from member states. The country was officially appointed as the Voluntary Lead Shepherd (VLS) to spearhead the regional fight against People Smuggling under the DGICM Plan of Action (PoA).

As Indonesia assumes the lead against human smuggling, other ASEAN nations have taken charge of parallel strategic portfolios:

Hendarsam concluded by emphasizing that transnational threats cannot be fought in isolation. Through this newly issued mandate, Indonesia is set to push for aggressive intelligence sharing and technological alignment to maintain safety across the ASEAN region.