Brunei’s Struggle with Transnational Organized Crime

Challenges Facing Brunei

Overview of the Situation

Brunei is facing a multitude of challenges related to transnational organized crime, including human trafficking, illegal fishing, and smuggling. These issues are compounded by the country’s limited resources and concerns about the government’s capacity to investigate powerful stakeholders.

Key Issues

• Lack of Dedicated Facility: Brunei does not have a dedicated facility for addressing human trafficking.
• Increasing Budget Allocation: The government has allocated more of its budget for trafficking-specific expenses in recent years, indicating some level of commitment to addressing the issue.
• Inadequate Protections for Foreign Workers: The lack of protections for foreign workers suggests that insufficient measures are being taken to guard against exploitation.

Economic Dependencies and Centralized Governance

Brunei’s economy relies heavily on oil extraction, which has hindered efforts to diversify its economic base. The country has called for economic diversification, but progress has been slow due to a centralized state structure that relies on the monarchy.

• Economic Diversification: Brunei seeks to reduce its reliance on oil extraction by promoting economic diversification.
• Centralized Governance: The country’s centralized governance system, which relies heavily on the monarchy, has hindered efforts to address transnational organized crime and promote economic development.

Government Efforts

The government of Brunei has taken some steps to address human trafficking and raise awareness about labor rights. These include:

• Inter-Agency Public Relations Task Force: The government has established an inter-agency public relations task force to raise awareness of trafficking and labor rights.
• Limited Progress: While these efforts are a step in the right direction, there is still much work to be done to effectively address transnational organized crime in Brunei.