South to South cooperation: Strengthening ties between Bangladesh and Malaysia to
better counter human trafficking and migrant smuggling
Dubai, United Arab Emirates 20 April 2023 – From 12 to 14 September 2022, UNODC, under the framework of the Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants - Bangladesh (
GLO.ACT- Bangladesh), together with UNODC Regional Office for South East Asia and the Pacific, facilitated a
bilateral exchange in Dubai among criminal justice authorities from Bangladesh and Malaysia to strengthen channels of communication, foster a common understanding of the modi operandi of organized criminal groups, and promote police to police cooperation in countering human trafficking (TIP) and migrant smuggling (SOM).
In the fight against TIP and SOM, law enforcement officials face a daunting task. Organized criminal groups are known to take advantage of the willingness of people to cross borders and the absence of legal pathways for migration. The human trafficking routes often combine land, sea, and air segments and are rarely limited to one modus operandi. Such groups pose a great risk not only to the States affected by their criminal activity but also to the thousands of people who are exposed to mistreatment, abuse, gender-based violence, and sexual violence.
Bangladeshi nationals represent one of the largest migrant populations in Malaysia. Although many migrate willingly for work, the exploitation of migrant workers by employers, employment agents, and sub-agents as well as labour brokers through the imposition of onerous migration fees is well documented. These high costs and substandard labour practices have exposed migrant workers to situations of forced labour through debt-based coercion. Large, organized crime syndicates are responsible for some instances of trafficking for the purpose of forced labour.
Additionally, Malaysia is a destination for migrants trafficked and smuggled by sea. Migrants face deadly risks, at times exacerbated by the fact that traffickers and smugglers may encourage migration during monsoon season and use unseaworthy vessels in response to immigration controls. Women and girls are reportedly coerced into engaging in commercial sex and forced marriages in Malaysia.
To better address these issues, the Royal Malaysia Police and the Bangladesh Police's specialist anti-trafficking units met to discuss criminal activity and threats facing them. During the two-day meeting, the two delegations shared knowledge on the latest developments on the trafficking in persons routes linking the two countries, including the modus operandi of criminal networks targeting migrants from Bangladesh and Malaysia. They also established contacts for future potential bilateral/regional exchange of information, and challenges, lessons learned, and best practices on investigation of trafficking in persons cases were shared, with a view to exploring ways forward to an enhanced operational cooperation.
This bilateral meeting between the Royal Malaysia Police and Bangladesh Police's specialist anti-trafficking units served as just the first steppingstone towards enhancing operational cooperation and addressing this issue's challenges.
Following the first bilateral meeting, on 15 December 2022, GLO.ACT facilitated a follow-up bilateral exchange online with the delegations to continue operational exchanges. During the meeting, participants recapped the agreed follow-up actions during the meeting in Dubai, the outcomes of the bilateral cooperation so far, latest TIP developments in Malaysia, and discussed logistics and expectations for the next in-person meeting.
UNODC will continue to facilitate subsequent meetings, and delegations will be encouraged to bring requests for support and intelligence to be exchanged with the other delegation. The next in-person bilateral meeting is tentatively scheduled for Q2, 2023.
The Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants - Bangladesh (GLO.ACT - Bangladesh) is a joint initiative by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) being implemented in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), led by the Government of Bangladesh. GLO.ACT-Bangladesh builds on a global community of practice set in motion in GLO.ACT 2015-2019 in 13 partner countries across Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America.
Through targeted, innovative and demand-driven interventions, the GLO.ACT aims to support the Government of Bangladesh and civil society organizations to more effectively fight the crimes of human trafficking and migrant smuggling across the country. The project works on developing evidence-based information on trafficking and smuggling patterns and trends, legislative review and harmonization, capability development of criminal justice actors, and international cooperation. The project also provides direct assistance to victims of human trafficking and migrants in vulnerable situations through the strengthening of identification, referral, and protection mechanisms. The project is fully committed to mainstreaming
Human Rights and Gender Equality considerations across all of its activities.
The project is funded by the European Union.
For more information, please contact:
GLO.ACT Bangladesh
Twitter: @glo_act
