(VOVworld) - Senior immigration officials from the ten ASEAN member countries discussed ways to enhance regional cooperation at a forum which opened on Tuesday in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

ASEAN senior immigration officials at the forum in Cambodia (Source: Xinhua/VNA)

Addressing the forum, Cambodian Interior Minister Sar Kheng said sharing intelligence was a vital tool to help member countries address illegal immigration:"2015 has seen advantages for ASEAN countries’ economic development. Immigration is an important and complicated matter, and immigration offences always pose threats to social security and economy through transnational crimes. Therefore, it is essential for all ASEAN immigration departments to strengthen cooperation to tackle these issues."
Participants discussed the establishment of an immigration hot line, intelligence data sharing protocols and the irregular movement of people. On Monday, participants attended the 11^th ASEAN Immigration Intelligence Forum where they stressed the importance of strengthening regional cooperation through sharing immigration intelligence and information among ASEAN member states.