DGICM Agrees To Develop Portal To Share Visa Information Among ASEAN Members

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 (Bernama) -- The 22nd ASEAN Directors-General of Immigration Departments and Heads of Consular Affairs Divisions of Ministries of Foreign Affairs Meeting (DGICM) Wednesday agreed to develop a portal to facilitate the sharing of visa information and applications in each ASEAN member country. Immigration director-general Mustafar Ali said all his counterparts from ASEAN member countries agreed to the idea as it would enable them to access the information and data of individuals entering or leaving a country. “The portal will also have various other information on immigration, visa application facility and tourism sector in every ASEAN country. “The portal will be developed by Malaysia and will probably be ready by 2020,” he told reporters after chairing the meeting here Wednesday. Meantime, he said the ASEAN representatives also commended Malaysian Immigration’s effort in implementing the anti-illegal immigrant operation dubbed Ops Mega 3.0 from July 1. “As of yesterday (Tuesday), we were able to detect 144 employers who hired illegal immigrants and action had also be taken against them,” he said, adding that 22,760 foreign workers were screened so far and 6,270 were detained for various offences. --BERNAMA