Moshi – Under the framework of a Dutch-funded project entitled Enhancing Migration Management in African States through Capacity Building on Integrated Border Management and Countering Irregular Migration, IOM, the UN Migration Agency, upgraded the forensic laboratory in the Tanzania Regional Immigration Training Academy (TRITA). This upgrade included the provision of equipment for examining travel documents, and IOM reference training manuals that are specifically designed for forensic labs such as the Passport Examination Procedures Manual (PEPM II) and the Document Examination Laboratory Manual for the Immigration Environment (DELMIE).

The newly upgraded forensic laboratory is used to train immigration officers from the African continent to detect fraudulent travel documents at entry points along African borders. Fraudulent documents are often used by criminals for the purpose of migrant smuggling and human trafficking.

The first group to benefit from the upgraded forensic laboratory training facility at ACBC/TRITA included 11 Immigration Officers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), who attended a Training of Trainers (ToT) course on Security Document and Fraud Detection from 9 to 13 July. The ToT course was led by experts at IOM’s African Capacity Building Center (ACBC) for Migration and Border Management in Moshi, under the framework of the Dutch-funded project. The ACBC cooperates closely with TRITA and other regional and continental bodies to further develop the capacity of African immigration officers from across the continent. This training aims to teach practical skills in travel document examination and fraudulent document detection, as well as techniques for the screening of travellers; within the ToT format, the goal is to significantly increase the pool of expert trainers in the DRC.

The training also aimed to promote understanding of growing and complex global migration challenges within the framework of an integrated border management approach. The programme also contributes to strengthening close cooperation between the Netherlands immigration authorities and the immigration authorities of several African countries.

The new document examination equipment was received for TRITA by Edward Paul Chogero, on behalf of Anna Makakala, the Commissioner General of Immigration (CGI) of Tanzania. Officials from the Tanzanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (representing the Director of Multilateral Co-operation, Ambassador Celestine Mushy) and officials from TRITA also participated in the handover ceremony. While handing over the equipment to the Government officials, IOM Tanzania Chief of Mission, Qasim Sufi stressed that “the aim of upgrading the Forensic Laboratory in TRITA/ACBC is to create a state of the art training space, where the knowledge and skills of immigration officers from the African continent are further developed to effectively address irregular migration, combat migrant smuggling and human trafficking, and to more efficiently and effectively manage their borders.”

The event was widely covered by the media including national TV stations, radio and newspapers.

For more information, please contact IOM’s African Capacity Building Center in Moshi:
Marcellino Ramkishun, Tel: +255 786 067505, Email: mramkishun@iom.int
Nelson Goncalves, Tel: +255 27 275 3466, Email: ngoncalves@iom.int
Pamela Kyando, Tel: +255 27 275 3466, Email: pkyando@iom.int