CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
The Conference Programme will be regularly updated with further details in due course.
DOWNLOAD PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME
CALL FOR SPEAKERS
The Call for Speakers for the 12th IAP Regional Conference for the Asia and Pacific region is now open. The closing date is Friday 23 January 2026.
CONFERENCE THEME
"Transcending Borders, Securing Justice: Prosecutorial Response To Illegal Immigration and Cross-Border Crime In A Globalised World ".
"Illegal Immigration and Prosecutorial Challenges in the age of Artificial Intelligence”
In the light of migration accelerating across regions due to conflict, poverty, climate change, and opportunity gaps, countries face unprecedented challenges in regulating unlawful cross-border movement.
For prosecutors, the task lies in discerning criminal intent, safeguarding national security, and ensuring that justice systems uphold the rule of law and international human rights obligations. Illegal immigration today is no longer a localised issue—it is transnational in form, deeply embedded in organised criminal networks, and frequently intersects with digital identities, statelessness, and trafficking.
This conference convenes prosecutors worldwide to address how cross-border crime is evolving in the context of migration, and how legal systems must adapt through evidence-based, cooperative, and humanitarian-centred strategies. It calls for strengthening prosecutorial capabilities, inter-jurisdictional trust, and a collective imagination for a global legal architecture capable of balancing sovereignty and solidarity.
PLENARY SESSION THEMES
PLENARY ONE:
Illegal Immigration and the Prosecutor’s Mandate: From Border Crossings to Criminal Accountability
Possible Discussions:
• Prosecuting fraud related to unlawful entry, overstays, and immigration.
• Distinguishing victims of trafficking from criminal participants.
• Prosecutorial guidelines in mixed migration flows (e.g., asylum-seekers and smugglers flowing in at once).
• Ethical dilemmas and humanitarian safeguards in charging decisions.
PLENARY TWO:
Evidence in Immigration Prosecution: Digital Identification, Biometrics, and Forensics in Immigration related Prosecutions
Possible Discussions:
• Admissibility and usage of biometric data (fingerprints, iris scans, facial recognition and other technologies) in the age of Artificial Intelligence
• Smart border surveillance tools, including tools using Artificial Intelligence widely, and the chain of custody in digital identification
• Cross-border data sharing and interoperability challenges
• Forensic documentation of identity fraud and forged travel credentials
PLENARY THREE:
Persistent Crimes and Risks of Porous Borders: Regional Lessons in Prosecuting Transnational Movement Offences
Possible Discussions:
• Case studies from regional land and sea border crossings on Cross-border crimes arising due to penetrable borders
• Departmental coordination and Prosecutorial cooperation with border patrol, the Coast Guard, and immigration enforcement agencies
• International standards and regional innovations in border-related immigration law
• Challenges of prosecuting in areas of overlapping jurisdiction and ethnic ties
PLENARY FOUR:
Statelessness, Identity and Legal Protection in the context of Prosecuting without borders
Possible Discussions:
• Determining the Legal status of undocumented and stateless individuals in criminal proceedings
• Understanding Children, trafficked persons, and refugees in conflict with the law
• Balancing non-refoulement and prosecutorial obligations, taking cognisance of international jurisprudence
• Cross-jurisdictional standards in balancing enforcement and human dignity
SPECIAL PLENARY SESSION:
Towards developing a Common Legal Framework: A Collective imaginative exercise on Treaty-Building and Regional Consensus on Prosecuting Immigration-Linked Offences
Possible Discussions:
• Gaps in existing Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs), extradition agreements, and immigration-related treaties
• Feasibility of a Southeast/South Asian convention on immigration-linked crimes
• Balancing sovereignty, humanitarian norms, and resource burdens
• Creating model legislation or prosecutorial protocols for harmonisation
SOCIAL AND CULTURAL PROGRAMME
SPOUSE/PARTNER POLICY:
Spouses/partners of registered participants are warmly welcomed to participate in the conference’s social and cultural events, subject to payment of the requisite fee. Please note that children/other family members are not eligible to attend the conference.
INDIA PARTNERS PROGRAMME:
The conference extends a warm welcome to partners of registered participants. Partners may take part in the specially curated Cultural Programme, which offers opportunities to experience the cultural richness and hospitality of the host city. Kindly note that participation is subject to payment of the applicable fee of 350 Euros.
Partners registered for the programme will also be entitled to attend the following events:
Welcome Reception at the Bharat Mandapam and Dinner on 11th March, 2026
Gala Dinner on 12th March, 2026
Farewell Reception and a tour with the delegates on 13th March, 2026
The partners will enjoy an exclusive Delhi sightseeing tour on March 12, 2026, including lunch. The details of this shall be finalised in due course. On 13 March 2026, the partners would join the delegates on a sightseeing tour and a lunch curated to provide a fun and stimulating experience, before concluding with the delegates at a night filled with joy at the farewell dinner.
TRANSPORTATION:
For the convenience of conference participants, a shuttle bus service between the three designated conference hotels and the venues of each social and cultural event will be provided.
| Opening Ceremony and Welcome Reception | ||
| Date: | Wednesday, 11 March 2026 |  |
| Time: | 18:00 - 21:00hrs, Drinks and finger food | |
| Venue: | The Bharat Mandapam | |
| Dress code: | Business Attire/National Dress | |
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The opening ceremony and welcome reception will take place in the Bharat Mandapam, the primary venue of the event. A large hall will host the dinner, and ample arrangements will ensure the comfort of all attendees. |
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| Gala Cultural Dinner | ||
| Date: | Thursday, 12 March 2026 | |
| Time: | 19:00 - 22:30 hrs, Dinner | |
| Venue: | Hotel Le Meridien | |
| Dress code: | Business attire/National dress | |
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A table dinner will be arranged post a vibrant cultural performance showcasing India’s culinary and artistic talent in one event. |
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| Farewell Reception | ||
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| Date: | Friday, 13 March 2026 | |
| Time: | 19:30 - 23:00 hrs, Table-served Gala Dinner | |
| Venue: | India Habitat Centre | |
| Dress code: | Smart casual/National dress | |
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A grand farewell reception will take place in the pristine and sprawling India Habitat Centre. A night full of energy with pulsating beats thanks to a live DJ, and a wide spread of food and liquor. |
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| Post Conference Cultural Programme | ||
| Date: | Saturday, 14 March 2026 | |
| Time: | TBC | |
| Venue: | TBC | |
| Dress code: | Comfortable clothes and shoes | |
| Participation fee: | TBC EUR | |