ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) of Pakistan and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) jointly organised a handing over ceremony of 100 books on document recognition and 100 magnifiers on Wednesday for immigration officers.
Within the framework of the Integrated Border Management (IBM) in the Silk Routes Countries project, funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by ICMPD, the FIA was given 100 books on basic knowledge for document recognition and 100 magnifiers for FIA’s frontline immigration officers to help them detect fraudulent documents at airports. They will also be used by the FIA Academy for training.
The government and ICMPD had signed a cooperation agreement in November 2020, which confirms their commitment to promote legal migration and mobility, support integration of Pakistani migrants abroad, fight against discrimination, racism, Islamophobia and xenophobia, strengthen the positive impact of migration on the development of Pakistan and enhance border management. The MoU also covers prevention of irregular migration, including the smuggling of migrants and the trafficking of human beings. Against this backdrop, the FIA and ICMPD held a basic-level document security training sessions for 80 FIA officers working at the first and second line of control at four of the biggest and busiest airports in Pakistan, namely: Allama Iqbal International Airport, Bacha Khan International Airport, Islamabad International Airport and Jinnah International Airport in September-October 2020. The training sessions were held to strengthen the FIA's capacity for effective border management, as well as to curb irregular migration and human trafficking.
The ICMPD is an international organization with 18 member states. Established in 1993, it is currently active in more than 90 countries. Its mission is to make migration and mobility of people orderly, safe and regular. The ICMPD also acts as the Secretariat for the Budapest Process, which is a platform for inter-regional dialogue on migration stretching from Europe to the Silk Routes regions.