Mr. Ben Quinn, Illegal Migration Liaison Officer of the New Zealand Immigration Service. (Source: NZ Embassy in Vietnam)

Last July, the 2023-2024 Joint Action Phase Meeting and the Annual Meeting of the Working Group on Dismantling Migrant Smuggling and Human Trafficking Networks (Working Group) within the framework of the Bali Process against Migrant Smuggling, Human Trafficking and Transnational Crime took place in Hanoi.

As someone who has directly participated in the cooperation activities between New Zealand and Vietnam in the field of migration over the past year, Mr. Ben Quinn, the liaison officer on illegal migration of the New Zealand Immigration Department, shared with reporters of The Gioi & Viet Nam Newspaper his impressions of Vietnam's efforts to combat illegal migration and human trafficking.

Could you please tell us about the outstanding results of the 2023-2024 joint action period of the Working Group under the Bali Process framework?

Strengthening cross-agency cooperation is a key outcome of our joint efforts. Without appropriate information sharing, New Zealand and Vietnam will not be able to identify the perpetrators who facilitate illegal migration to New Zealand.

New Zealand is working hard to ensure the safety of Vietnamese citizens when they live, study and work in our country. We want migrants to have a strong and clear legal pathway to migrate to New Zealand so they can come and contribute effectively to our country.

Delegates attend the 2023-2024 Joint Action Phase Meeting and the Annual Meeting of the Working Group on Dismantling Migrant Smuggling and Human Trafficking Networks under the Bali Process in Hanoi in July. (Photo: Xuan Son)

So what strategies have been deployed to achieve such effective cross-sectoral cooperation, sir?

Information sharing, face-to-face meetings, and collaborative agreements are key to achieving results.

In March this year, the Minister of Public Security, Senior Lieutenant General Luong Tam Quang, then Deputy Minister of Public Security, visited and worked in New Zealand (within the framework of accompanying Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his wife on an official visit to New Zealand) and the issue of cooperation in the Bali Process was discussed.

During the working program, Senior Lieutenant General Luong Tam Quang met with the heads of the New Zealand Police Service and the New Zealand Immigration Service. During the meetings, the two sides openly discussed measures to enhance coordination and agreed on an official memorandum of understanding between the New Zealand Immigration Service and the Immigration Department, Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam.

At the lower level, meetings and communication activities of relevant agencies have been deployed to facilitate information sharing and exchange.

How do you feel about Vietnam's efforts in preventing and combating human trafficking and illegal migration?

Vietnam has a different environment for human trafficking and people smuggling than New Zealand.

While the environments and risks posed by these crimes are different in our two countries, we have been working to mitigate these risks with the goal of a shared future where people can migrate safely to work without fear of falling into the traps of trafficking and exploitation.

Deputy Minister of Public Security Luong Tam Quang and New Zealand Police Commander Andrew Coster at a working session in March 2024. (Source: Ministry of Public Security)

What should Vietnam and New Zealand do to advance the outcomes of the Joint Action Phase 2023-2024 and further promote cooperation to prevent human trafficking and people smuggling in the region?

The Joint Action Phase is just the beginning of what we can achieve in the areas of migrant smuggling, human trafficking and transnational crime.

Our two countries will continue to work to formalise information sharing between the New Zealand Immigration Authority and the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security so that criminals can be held accountable, workers can travel safely, migrate legally from New Zealand to Vietnam and feel safe working overseas.

Thank you!