Migrant Smuggling in Asia - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

dest<strong>in</strong>ation countries (for example apprehension and
deportation data).
In a small number of the countries studied, namely
India and �ailand, researchers have sought to �ll
the gap <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>formation about irregular migration
�ows (and more speci�cally <strong>in</strong>cidence of migrant
smuggl<strong>in</strong>g) by draw<strong>in</strong>g on supplementary data such
as data from <strong>in</strong>terceptions of irregular migrants,
deportation proceed<strong>in</strong>gs, and �eld data. For example,
<strong>in</strong> one study, the researcher exam<strong>in</strong>ed data about
deportations of Indian nationals through Chennai
airport (Saha, 2009). �is did not <strong>in</strong>dicate the
<strong>in</strong>cidence of irregular migration but it does provide
useful <strong>in</strong>formation about the orig<strong>in</strong> of smuggled
migrants with<strong>in</strong> India, and preferred routes and
dest<strong>in</strong>ation countries (see further, India country
study, this volume). Similarly, <strong>in</strong> �ailand, there
are several recent studies that draw on data from a
range of government sources, alongside a review of
the exist<strong>in</strong>g research literature (see for example, Sciort<strong>in</strong>o
& Punpu<strong>in</strong>g, 2009).
Several studies noted that similar research, draw<strong>in</strong>g on
deportation data, could be undertaken <strong>in</strong> other contexts.
For example, Azam notes that <strong>in</strong> the absence of good
data about the size of irregular migration orig<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g
from Pakistan, it would be useful to have a close look
at statistics on deportation of Pakistani nationals.
Accord<strong>in</strong>g to Azam, the relevant Pakistani department
provides some deportation statistics however they are
fairly opaque. Azam recommends that:
Arrangements need to be worked out with [the
Federal Investigation Agency] for collection
and report<strong>in</strong>g of the data on deportees and
<strong>in</strong>terceptions on more mean<strong>in</strong>gful <strong>in</strong>dicators,
nationality (for <strong>in</strong>terceptions only), gender, age
groups, promised job abroad (for <strong>in</strong>terceptions
and deportees arrested at the border of
dest<strong>in</strong>ation country), reason for deportation,
and any adverse conditions of employment
abroad (for deportees who had been work<strong>in</strong>g
abroad). [the Federal Investigation Agency]
should also be able to dist<strong>in</strong>guish and report
on the tra�cked victims, people smuggled and
other illegal migrants among those <strong>in</strong>tercepted
and deported. (Azam, 2009, p. 55)
BEFARE (2009, p. 83) notes that the number of
“Pakistani smuggled persons deported per year”
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