The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) recently held a two-day workshop in Manila, Philippines on simplifying visa procedures for both Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and non-ASEAN nationals.
The workshop featured presentations from government, law enforcement, industry, academia and European experts on the Schengen Information System, which focused on facilitating the mobility of people throughout the region.
“The workshop represents an opportunity to enhance our common understanding of the challenges brought by the movement of people across borders in a globalized and connected world which criminals seek to exploit, and how to better address these,” said INTERPOL’s Acting Director of Capacity Building and Training Chor Ping Woo.
Economic growth across the ASEAN region, along with an explosion in population growth, have placed increased demand on existing travel security requirements and procedures.
Featured nations in the workshop included Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
“In terms of border management, we cannot merely focus on preventing terrorists entering the region. We also need to focus on tourism and ensure those visitors who come with different but sometimes malicious agendas are prevented from entering the region,” said European Union (EU) Ambassador to the ASEAN region Francisco Fontan.