Challenges in addressing irregular migration, people smuggling and human trafficking challenges are growing in scale and complexity. With challenges, come opportunities to enhance regional cooperation and innovation.

📢Closing on Monday The RSO is recruiting for a Consultant–Executive & Administrative Support. This key role will support the RSO Co-Managers in coordinating meetings, managing travel, liaising w/ stakeholders, & ensuring smooth operations across the office. Apply 08 September: buff.ly/6WaHIWc

📢One week left to apply The RSO is recruiting for a Consultant – Executive & Administrative Support. This key role will support the RSO Co-Managers in coordinating meetings, managing travel, liaising w/ stakeholders, & ensuring smooth operations across the office. Apply 08 Sept: buff.ly/6WaHIWc

The RSO held a series of courtesy visits with government counterparts in Manila, the Philippines—exploring opportunities to collaborate and coordinate activities ahead of the Philippines’ 2026 Chairmanship for ASEAN.

Last week, the RSO took part in the 14th Asia Dialogue on Forced Migration (ADFM) in Bangkok, Thailand. With 123 million people displaced globally and humanitarian needs in the region continuing to grow, the dialogue underscored the urgency of innovative and practical solutions to displacement.

🤝🌏 The RSO was in Jakarta last week for the RSO Member State Spotlight—Indonesia; a week-long series of capacity building and policy dialogue activities, bringing together regional counterparts across a range of priority issues.

As transnational organised crime groups continue to exploit online platforms, generative AI, and other emerging technologies to facilitate trafficking in persons into cyber-scam centres, law enforcement needs to adapt to keep pace and effectively disrupt transnational organised crime groups.

📢 New job alert The RSO is recruiting for a Consultant– Executive & Administrative Support. This role will support the RSO Co-Managers in coordinating meetings, managing travel, liaising w/ stakeholders, & ensuring smooth operations across the office. Apply 08 September GMT+7 hours: rb.gy/iompvq

🚨 NEW RESEARCH Cyber-scam centres in Southeast Asia generate billions annually — targeting victims worldwide and exploiting trafficked workers. Many have evolved into transnational networks linking fraud, trafficking, money laundering, and illegal gambling. 📖 tinyurl.com/y4rnzmx2

The RSO extends its gratitude to the Royal Thai Government Department of International Organizations for extending an invitation to discuss the RSO 2024-26 Work Plan and opportunities for synergy and cooperation in months ahead.

🌏 The Bali Process Tabletop Exercise (TTX) has officially kicked off, bringing together all working groups in a demonstration of regional collaboration and shared responsibility to addressing people smuggling, trafficking in persons and related transnational crime.

🌍 In an interconnected world, natural and humanitarian disasters are not isolated events. For people already facing hardship in uncertain environments, the shock of a crisis can force a difficult but necessary move to seek refuge elsewhere.

David Scott, RSO Co-Manager (Australia), met with colleagues at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Viet Nam on the sidelines of the Border Control Agency Management Programme (BCAMP) held over 11–12 June in Hanoi.

🇻🇳 The RSO was in Hanoi this week for the Border Control Agency Management Program (BCAMP). RSO Co-Manager David Scott met w/ Vietnamese partners, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Public Security, Immigration Department, & People's Police Academy (PPA)

Malaysia's economic and political stability and established diaspora communities make it a key destination country in Southeast Asia, hosting between 1.23–1.46 million migrant workers in irregular situations and 190,370 registered refugees and asylum seekers. 🇲🇾

💡Empowering frontline immigration officials with the knowledge, skills, & networks they need is key to address irregular migration & protecting people on the move. Marking 15 years of #BCAMP, David Scott, RSO Co-Manager (Australia) presented on realities of trafficking in persons & people smuggling

💡In order to develop information campaigns & public messaging to prevent individuals from undertaking dangerous #irregular journeys, it is crucial to understand how persons at risk of #irregular migration & their origin communities perceive (irregular) migration, & their #informationneeds

📢 One week left to apply! The RSO is recruiting for a new Programme Manager (International Migration Strategies) to lead the establishment of a senior policy group on irregular migration in the Andaman Sea. ⏰ Apply before 8 June: buff.ly/DvKPsG0

An op-ed by RSO Co-Managers Fuad Adriansyah (Indonesia) and David Scott (Australia) published in the @Diplomat_APAC today discusses the devastating human cost of legal invisibility for individuals, and champions the momentum for change in #SoutheastAsia. Read the full op-ed here: buff.ly/RYr2LjX

The RSO 2025 Members' Engagement Function in Kuala Lumpur brought together regional actors from government, civil society and international organisations in Malaysia’s Chairmanship Year for #ASEAN, strengthening connections across those working to address people smuggling & transnational crime.

📢 New job alert! The RSO is recruiting for a new Programme Manager (International Migration Strategies) to lead the establishment of a senior policy group on irregular migration in the Andaman Sea. ⏰ Apply before 8 June 2025, Bangkok time: rso.baliprocess.net/rso-networks...

✈️ Last week, the RSO participated in the #BudapestProcess Working Group meeting on Returns & Reintegration, in Istanbul, Turkiye—as part of a long-standing relationship between the RSO & the Budapest Process, & recognising overlapping memberships & challenges for the Budapest and Bali Processes

How can understanding the drivers and consequences of irregular migration help strengthen investigations into serious crime? RSO presented to law enforcement officers at the IMOSC XVIII Programme, drawing on the findings of an assessment on Community Perceptions and Information Needs.

🚨 Last call for applications! Tomorrow is the final day to apply for the Programme Manager (Information Sharing and Regional Responses) position with the RSO in Bangkok, Thailand. Don’t miss your chance to join our team! 🔗 Apply here: rso.baliprocess.net/rso-networks...

The Bali Process 19th Steering Group Meeting and 18th Senior Officials’ Meeting are taking place this week in Bangkok.🌐

📢 New job alert! The RSO is recruiting for a new Online Platforms Toolkit & Research Consultant, who will map & analyse content moderation policies & provide insights on good practices for content moderation to reduce transnational organised crime online. 🔗 More info: tinyurl.com/yc55cscx

The RSO is recruiting for a new Programme Manager (Information Sharing & Regional Responses). The Consultant will lead on engagement to support establishment of 2 cross-border networks, supporting regional cooperation on maritime people smuggling. ⏰ Apply before 22 May 🔗 More info: buff.ly/TMGw757

🤝 The RSO met with Ruwanthi Delpitiya, Acting Director General of East Asia & International Security Cooperation Division at Sri Lanka's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

📍 Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh | 29 April 2025 Strong regional partnership in action to lay the groundwork for the delivery of the International People Smuggling Investigations Program (IPSIP) in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh this September.

Sri Lankan nationals 🇱🇰 are more at risk of trafficking into cyber-scam centres, with operations spreading beyond Southeast Asia 🌐.This week, RSO & Sri Lanka's National Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force convened a Thematic Dialogue to address trafficking for forced criminality & cyber-enabled crime

🚨 Last call for applications! Tomorrow is the final day to apply for the Programme Manager for Countering Trafficking in Persons position with the RSO in Bangkok, Thailand. Don’t miss your chance to join our team! 🔗 Apply here: thailand.iom.int/sites/g/file...

While in Colombo, Sri Lanka, the RSO met with Controller General of Department of Immigration and Emigration in Sri Lanka, & colleagues including former secondees to the RSO. Discussions highlighted strong partnership between Sri Lanka & RSO, & trends related to trafficking for forced criminality

RSO & the National Anti Human Trafficking Task Force of Sri Lanka hosted a Thematic Dialogue to discuss preventing and responding to trafficking in persons for forced criminality at a national level & importance of cross-agency efforts in countering activities of transnational organised crime groups

📢 New job alert! The RSO is on the lookout for its new Programme Manager, Countering Trafficking in Persons. ⏰ Apply before 30 April 2025, Bangkok time 🔗 More info and how to apply: bit.ly/4cxAjAK

Happy Songkran from the RSO! We wish everyone a joyous Songkran and a healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year.

An OSINT workshop recently held by the RSO in Bangkok equipped law enforcement from across Southeast Asia with open-source intelligence (OSINT) skills to detect, investigate, & disrupt cyber-scam centre recruitment networks & investigations into a range of related crimes. More: buff.ly/RHfFHqo

💡Looking back at the 7th Bali Process Meeting of the Technical Experts Group on Returns and Reintegration 💡 Held over 3–5 Dec 2024 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the meeting brought together Bali Process Members to strengthen cooperation for safe, dignified, and sustainable returns and reintegration.

💡Looking back at the 7th Bali Process Meeting of the Technical Experts Group on Returns and Reintegration 💡 Held over 3–5 Dec 2024 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the meeting brought together Bali Process Members to strengthen cooperation for safe, dignified, and sustainable returns and reintegration.

RSO's @winchry.bsky.social met w/ Luong Le, Director of the ATIP Dept. at Blue Dragon to learn about their work supporting local collaboration between law enforcement & CSOs, good practices in #TIP data collection & victim services offered by @bluedragonchildren.bsky.social in #Vietnam

Eid Mubarak!🌙 Happy Eid al-Fitr to all celebrating. Wishing you and your loved ones peace and joy — may the spirit of Eid strengthen the bonds of community and hope across the globe.

🧵Sri Lanka continues efforts to counter trafficking of citizens to scam centres in Southeast Asia via its National Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force, Embassies & Consulates. RSO met w/ Amb.Wijayanthi Edirisinghe, discussing release of 14 Sri Lankans from Myanmar & RSO's OSINT workshop in Colombo 🤝

1/🧵The RSO 2025 Members' Engagement Function in Bangkok brought together Bali Process membership, partners and Royal Thai Government officials to strengthen connections and support cross-border cooperation. ▶️ Read more here: rso.baliprocess.net/rso-2025-mem...

A unified, cross-border approach is crucial to address migration-related issues & disrupt organised crime. Bali Process members shared promising practices & solutions that may help other governments manage migration & counter transnational crime at the 3rd Constructive Dialogue. tinyurl.com/3vj48vfb

🚨 What are the information needs of people at risk of irregular migration? 🚨 Our latest report, developed with  @baliprocessrso.bsky.social  looked at community perceptions and information needs of migrants who used irregular routes   🧵 Key findings below! ⬇️

The RSO's technical workshop on countering trafficking into cyber-scam centres is underway in Bangkok. Officers from across ASEAN have gathered to enhance investigative capabilities through open source intelligence (#OSINT) techniques 🕵️‍♀️

#IWD2025: RSO Research has shown that in SE Asia, women are three times more likely to choose irregular migration routes for personal or family reasons than men. Read the RSO’s latest report on Community Perceptions and Information Needs of Persons at Risk of Irregular Migration buff.ly/KTEoq48

The RSO participated in Thailand's Second Modern Slavery Conference, which brought together government interlocuters, international organisations, civil society, and the private sector, highlighting efforts to counter forced labour, and to protect its citizens from situations of exploitation.

💡RSO Highlights Issue 9 is out now!💡 This issue highlights support provided to Bali Process Member States by the RSO to strengthen cooperation on refugee protection & international #migration, including human trafficking, people smuggling & related transnational crime. Read here: buff.ly/4azfjkZ

🔎 Trafficking in persons generates in excess of $200 billion in illegal profits globally. Addressing this issue is crucial for regional stability and human rights.

During a recent visit to Dhaka, the RSO met with IOM Bangladesh to align on new strategies and to identify avenues to deepen our collaboration.