24.11.2023. Moshi, Tanzania. The IOM African Capacity Building Centre (ACBC), in partnership with the Kingdom of the Netherlands Ministry of Justice and Security, directorate of Repatriation and Departure Services (R&DS), the IOM Mission in Uganda and the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC) of the Republic of Uganda is concluding a five day Training-of-Trainers (ToT) on Document Examination and Fraud Detection for twelve Immigration Officials drawn from the Border Crossing Points, Airports and Head Quarters of the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control. The training is aimed at equipping immigration officials who are tasked with responsibilities to facilitate cross border travel for both nationals and non-nationals with knowledge and skills to detect identity and travel document fraud. At a time when technological development in the identity and travel documents realm is advancing exponentially with criminals bent towards bypassing immigration controls, it is critical to equip immigration officials with knowledge and skills to identify identity and travel documents fraudsters while facilitating genuine travelers’ smooth passage across borders. It is upon this realization that IOM and its partners have scheduled this Training-of-Trainers to support the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control Immigration in equipping and empowering its immigration officials with knowledge and skills to execute their function of identifying identity and travel documents fraudsters efficiently and effectively. The training is being undertaken under the auspices of the regional project, “ Enhancing Migration Management of African States through Capacity Building on Integrated Border Management and Countering Irregular Migration (EMMAS) with funding support from the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
In his opening remarks, Mr Mpilo Nkomo, Senior Immigration and Border Governance Specialist thanked the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Ministry of Justice and Security, Repatriation and Departure Service for availing financial support without which the training event would not have been possible. He thanked IOM Mission in Uganda and the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control of the Republic of Uganda for partnering to ensure that regular pathways in managing migration are fostered while collectively managing irregular migration through empowering immigration officials with requisite knowledge and skills to detect and deter identity and travel document fraud. He highlighted that if member states implement strong civil registration systems, it will allow their citizenry access to legal identity and travel documents that are trusted by other countries which will facilitate cross-border mobility and trade and deepen regional integration as aspired by the African Union’s Free Movement Protocol and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). In concluding his remarks, Mr Nkomo welcomed the Uganda delegation citing that the ACBC was established in 2009 at the request of the IOM African Member States and that he was delighted that the ACBC was a Centre of Excellence African Member States should leverage to develop capacities of their officials on migration governance and management.
“We are confident that this activity will contribute to national efforts to detect and deter transnational crime, facilitate regular mobility, and enhance cooperation across common borders. IOM is proud to support the enhancement of the capacities of relevant border and law enforcement officers and by so doing, help accomplish the vision of ever closer integration within the East African Region”, stated Mr. Maurizio Busatti, Chief of Mission for IOM Tanzania.
“This training marks another great collaboration between the DCIC and IOM through the African Capacity Building Centre, as it builds on the long-standing support that the organization and the ACBC have provided the DCIC throughout the years, which includes trainings on MIDAS and the setup of the Document Security Lab at Entebbe Airport. This demonstrates IOM’s firm commitment to upgrading the capacities of African Member States by providing technical trainings to its members” stated Sanusi Tejan Savage, Chief of Mission for IOM Uganda
The Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands’ Ministry of Justice and Security, Directorate of Repatriation and Departure Services (R&DS) said that, “the R&DS is happy with its partnership with IOM Tanzania through the IOM ACBC and project participating states including the Republic of Uganda and is looking forward to strengthening its partnership with the Government of the Republic of Uganda in its efforts to manage migration and supporting the IOM ACBC project, “Enhancing Migration Management of African States through Capacity Building on Integrated Border Management and Countering Irregular Migration (EMMAS). The R&DS hopes that officials will leverage knowledge and skills gained during the training of trainers to effectively identify document fraudsters while facilitating cross border travel for genuine travelers”
In her closing remarks, Ms Juliet Kinuka, Mwesiga, Head of Delegation from the Government of the Republic of Uganda, Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC) said, “we are sincerely thankful to IOM and the ACBC for the warm reception and hospitality extended to us throughout the entire week. The training sessions were incredibly informative and engaging, covering a wide range of topics that are crucial to our work at the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC) in Uganda. From the pre-training evaluation to the in-depth discussions on document security, passport materials and printing techniques, the knowledge shared by Mr. Mpilo Nkomo and Ms. Pamela Kyando was truly enlightening. The sessions on ICAO standards, fraudulent documents, traveler assessment and profiling as well as the identification of imposters provided valuable insights that will undoubtedly enhance our operations. Moreover, the interactive activities, group discussions and educational questionnaires on learning styles were not only enriching but also enjoyable. The facilitator/training skills sessions and preparation processes were particularly beneficial, and we are eager to share the knowledge gained with our teams back home in Uganda. We are looking forward to applying the skills and knowledge acquired during the training and we are committed to providing feedback on the performance of the officers trained. On a special note, the Government of the Republic of Uganda expresses its sincere appreciation to the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Ministry of Justice and Security, Repatriation and Departure Service (R&DS) for the financial support without which this training would not have been a reality. As I close let me once again, extend our heartfelt appreciation to the entire IOM team for their dedication and expertise. May God bless you”
The Training is expected to be followed by step down trainings as trained trainers will be rolling out the trainings to their peers upon return in Uganda.
For more information on ACBC Immigration and Border Governance issues contact Mpilo Nkomo on: +255 (0) 785 736 072 or E-mail: mnkomo@iom.int