During a bilateral meeting in Canberra on Monday with Australia's Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke, Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, expressed his appreciation and presented strategic proposals as concrete contributions from the Indonesian government.
“On behalf of the Indonesian government, we express our appreciation to the Australian government for the swift and detailed intelligence related to human smuggling networks that use Indonesian territory as a transit route,” Mahendra said on Tuesday.
He reaffirmed Indonesia's commitment to strengthening operational cooperation in tackling illegal migration, including through early detection, joint operations, and cross-border investigations.
Mahendra also proposed establishing a secure, real-time information-sharing mechanism, particularly regarding key actors, financial flows, and digital platforms used by smuggling networks.
Minister Burke, accompanied by senior officials from the Home Affairs Ministry, responded positively to Mahendra’s proposals.
“I am committed to fostering closer cooperation between Australia and Indonesia in the fields of law, immigration, refugee management, and security,” Burke stated.
Mahendra was joined at the meeting by the Deputy for Immigration and Corrections Coordination, Indonesian Ambassador to Australia Siswo Pramono, and other delegates.
Earlier, Mahendra had received a courtesy visit from Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Rod Brazier in Jakarta on Thursday (June 12). The two discussed legal and security matters, including the citizenship status of Guantanamo detainee Encep Nurjaman (also known as Hambali) and the possible repatriation of the Bali Nine convicts.
The meeting underscored the strong bilateral relationship between Indonesia and Australia, particularly in addressing strategic legal and security issues.
Translator: Agatha Olivia V, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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