Arunn Jegan | Bali Process must do more than closed ports and deterrence

In fact, more than 348 refugees perished in the Indian Ocean in 2022 alone, according to UNHCR, making it one of the deadliest years since 2014.

As leaders meet in Adelaide this week for the Bali Process, Australia needs to show leadership by engaging with regional partners to stop these tragedies occurring.

Greater support is needed for search and rescue operations, timely disembarkation of refugees to stop them languishing at sea for months, and medical and humanitarian assistance once they are disembarked. Australia also needs to facilitate a targeted visa allocation for Rohingya refugees to resettle here, recognising that they are one of the most persecuted minorities globally.

The Bali Process, a regional cooperation forum, was set up in 2002, but has failed to achieve a coordinated and refugee-centred framework preventing deaths at sea, despite an obvious need after the 2015 Andaman Sea Crisis, which saw approximately 8,000 Rohingya stranded at sea.

The forum has largely focused on curbing smugglers and traffickers and viewing refugees as a threat to maritime and border security.

As co-chair to the Bali Process, the Albanese government has an opportunity to trigger emergency response mechanisms such as the consultation mechanism or an operational taskforce, especially as this crisis shows all indications of escalating.

Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders teams have witnessed an increased desperation for change among the Rohingya after more than five years living in insecure camps.

The cumulative effects of years of living in crowded, prison-like conditions, surging crime and insecurity, and being denied the right to adequate work and education, has taken an extreme toll on the mental and physical health of this community. Add to that the lack of any real prospect of returning to

Myanmar, it is understandable that some flee via sea.

Leaders have often used the phrase "until a durable solution in Myanmar occurs" to delay action in regional forums like ASEAN and the Bali Process. Though this is the ultimate wish for most Rohingya, a full right of return to Myanmar and re-instatement of equal rights and freedoms with international protection is a long way from occurring, especially as Rakhine State remains highly volatile.

It would be irresponsible for regional leaders to wait for uncertain political change in Myanmar that would enable the Rohingya to return to their homelands as the only "durable solution" to this crisis.

Increased land and sea movements of refugees across the Indian Ocean is highly likely for the foreseeable future; the inevitable outcome of subjecting millions of an ethnic minority to institutionalised persecution and enforced statelessness.

Therefore, establishing a proper refugee framework for the Rohingya in regional forums is not only morally justifiable, but also a pragmatic policy approach for the Albanese government to lead on.

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Key outcomes for the Bali Process meeting should include a coordinated regional approach which addresses search and rescue options, safe and timely disembarkation, and support to Rohingya refugees upon disembarkation. This must be done in tandem with addressing the root causes of persecution in Myanmar and improving the living conditions in Bangladesh's refugee camps and for

Rohingya stranded in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Regional leadership to address the protracted Rohingya crisis has been sorely lacking, and Australia now has the opportunity to step up and bring new commitment to the negotiating table.

The Asia-Pacific region must look to the Central Mediterranean Sea crisis as a cautionary tale, with 2,023 deaths in 2022 alone and over 20,000 since 2014.

If our only solution at this critical juncture is to respond to humanitarian need with closed ports and deterrence-based approaches, then we fail to respect our obligation to refugees and address the needs of the most vulnerable, and sadly, lives will continue to be lost at sea.