Forced migration crisis grows

A RECENTLY convened track-two diplomatic forum is calling on Asean leaders to tackle the issue of forced migration, just as civil unrest and the Covid-19 pandemic have exacerbated the cross-border problem and more refugees are ending up on Indonesian shores.

South-East Asia continues to have “deficits of leadership and accountability” when it comes to providing an adequate response to the forced migration issue, which requires Asean leaders to prioritise migrants’ protection, said Travers McLeod, co-convenor of the Asia Dialogue on Forced Migration (ADMF).