Migrant Smuggling Data and Research

For example, Malaysia currently hosts over 2 million irregular migrant workers,
well over half of them from Indonesia (Djafar and Hassan, 2012:704). It is
reasonable to assume that while not all were smuggled, many used a smuggler
at some point in their journey. It follows that the route between Malaysia and
Indonesia is likely a busy and lucrative one for smugglers. The same may be said
of the large populations of Myanmar, Lao and Cambodian irregular migrant
workers in Thailand.
Figure 9.1: Migrant smuggling routes in South-East Asia and Australia
Source: IOM, 2015.
Certainly the link between migrant smuggling and irregular migration
for work appears to be a strong one within the region. The expense and heavy
administrative burden attached to regular labour migration channels have
encouraged the development of informal networks of recruiters, brokers and
transporters who often work together to facilitate irregular entry (Bustamante,
2007). UNODC cites the example of irregular migration from Cambodia to
Thailand, which can cost a tenth of what migrants are required to pay to use
regular channels (UNODC, 2015:61). Irregular migration networks feed high
region-wide demand for low and semi-skilled workers across many sectors
including construction, fisheries, manufacturing, agricultural work and domestic
service. While the profile of irregular migrant workers is correspondingly diverse,
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9. South-East Asia and Australia