Kenya / IOM Hands Over Mobile Border Control Unit to Address Porous Borders

 

 

 

 

Kenya / IOM Hands Over Mobile Border Control Unit to Address Porous Borders

 

 

NAIROBI, Kenya, September 24, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IOM Press Briefing Notes

 

IOM handed over a Mobile Border Control Unit this week to the Kenyan Ministry for Immigration and Registration of Persons. The mobile unit is designed for rapid deployment of immigration personnel and law enforcement officers to Kenya’s remote border areas with no established border control stations and is fully equipped with up-to-date immigration control facilities and communication equipment.

The core element of the Unit is a fully equipped office container, mounted on a 6×4 truck and fitted out with HF/VHF radios, forensic document examination equipment, a mobile workstation (laptop) for registering persons and vehicles, as well as a generator for providing auxiliary power supply while operating in remote areas.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, Minister for Immigration and Registration of Persons Otieno Kajwang acknowledged IOM’s efforts and collaboration with the Ministry in controlling and ensuring the orderly movement of persons.

“Garissa and Isiolo are some of our most difficult borders to manage due to the deteriorating security situation in Somalia, with high numbers of people crossing the borders – mainly uncontrolled – every day. It is important for us to know who is moving across our borders in a timely manner and this border control unit will facilitate our mobility and presence in these difficult areas.”

The IOM Regional Representative for East and Central Africa Ashraf El Nour emphasized the Organization’s support to the ministry. “Movement of people is fluid and this border control unit can now enable immigration officials to go where needed. It is a major milestone in the ministry’s effort towards effective border management for Kenya.”

A 2009 IOM study on human smuggling in the East African region identifies Kenya not only as a source country, but also predominately as a country of transit for numerous people smuggled across the borders on their way from East Africa and the Horn of Africa towards the Republic of South Africa.

See “In Pursuit of the Southern Dream: Victims of Necessity Assessment of the irregular movement of men from East Africa and the Horn to South Africa; April 2009”.

SOURCE 

International Office of Migration (IOM)