Malaysia Receives Commendation For Leading 9th ANDEX Meeting
KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 (Bernama) -- The Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM) was commended for its central leadership role as host and chair of the 9th Annual Meeting of the Asian Network for Document Examination (ANDEX), held in Kuala Lumpur yesterday and today (May 13-14).
International Organisation for Migration (IOM) regional director for Asia and the Pacific, Iori Kato acknowledged the Malaysian government, as well as the Korea Immigration Service for its exemplary stewardship in the previous term.
He said that this year's meeting reaffirmed the indispensable leadership of national immigration authorities in driving regional cooperation, enhancing information-sharing frameworks, and leveraging platforms like the Data Exchange Solution for Counter-smuggling (DESC).
'DESC was designed to provide the data needed for coordinated, route-based responses to disrupt migrant smuggling networks,' he said in a joint release by JIM and IOM.
The statement noted that JIM led the conclusion of the 9th ANDEX Annual Meeting, held in a hybrid format in collaboration with IOM, 13 member countries and 11 observer countries.
'The two-day event brought together over 100 delegates from national immigration agencies, enforcement bodies, international organisations and development partners.
'The meeting aimed at advance collective action against transnational organised crime, with a particular focus on migrant smuggling through travel document fraud and irregular migration,' it said.
Among the key outcomes was the formal endorsement of two new member countries, Kazakhstan and Mongolia, which officially joined ANDEX, reflecting the network's growing inclusivity and regional significance.
'Both countries were recognised for their contributions to information sharing and commitment to collaborative border governance.
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