The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has successfully hosted this year’s ASEAN Directors-General of Immigration Departments and Heads of Consular Affairs Divisions of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs (DGICM), which was held via videoconferencing.
The two-day event, which happened last August 25 and 26, was a series of meetings of immigration heads to discuss regional plans for immigration matters.
According to BI Commissioner Jaime Morente, hosting the event virtually was a big challenge for the Bureau.
“We hosted the first ever videoconference meeting of the DGICM,” said Morente. “It was initially scheduled as an in-person event pre-covid, but we had to make adjustments when the pandemic came. It was a challenge that we have successfully accomplished, despite the obstacles brought about by Covid-19,” he added.
Through the DGICM, heads of immigration and consular offices in the 10 ASEAN member states meet annually to discuss various activities, and concerns regarding border management.
This year’s meeting, which was the 24th of the series, and was attended by ASEAN director generals, commissioners, consular heads, as well as the ASEAN secretariat.
Also in attendance are representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs.
BI hosts ASEAN immigration meeting
“The DGICM is an avenue where ASEAN immigration and consular heads can share information regarding various challenges, successful experiences, best practices for border management, and future plans for immigration-related matters,” said Morente. “This year, we were able to share our efforts on immigration, consular, and border management efforts amidst the pandemic,” he added.
The meeting, Morente said, is a testament to the country’s commitment to achieving ASEAN goals.
ASEAN is an economic union comprising 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, military, educational, and sociocultural integration between its members and other countries in Asia.
It also regularly engages other countries in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. A major partner of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, it maintains a global network of alliances and dialogue partners and is considered by many as a global powerhouse, the central union for cooperation in Asia-Pacific, and a prominent and influential organization. It is involved in numerous international affairs, and hosts diplomatic missions throughout the world.
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