IOM yesterday completed a two-day training for Afghan Border Police
officers designed to raise their awareness of human trafficking,
particularly across borders.

The training, the first of its kind, was held at the Border
Police Training Centre in Kabul, in close coordination with EUPOL,
which plays the central role in assisting the Afghan government
with police reform.

A second group of trainees will complete the same course later
this week, bringing the total number of the IOM-trained Border
Police officers to 60, representing every province in
Afghanistan.

The training focused on the risks of irregular migration, the
specific nature of trafficking in persons, and how it differs from
crimes such as kidnapping and people smuggling. It also addressed
preventive measures and the role of the Border Police.

"The trainees were very enthusiastic to learn and explore their
role in curbing this crime. We hope to expand this training to
reach out to more Border Police officers nationwide," said IOM
trainer, Nigina Mamadjonova.    

Afghanistan faces a serious human trafficking problem, both as a
country of origin and as a country of destination, especially for
women and children.

IOM’s Afghan counter-trafficking programme seeks to
address the issue through prevention, protection and prosecution.
On the prosecution front, IOM has already facilitated study tours
for Afghan law enforcement officers to Tajikistan and Italy this
year, and is making a significant contribution in drafting
Afghanistan’s counter-trafficking law. 

For further information, please contact:

Nigina Mamadjonova

IOM Kabul

Tel:  + 93 (0) 700 066 041

E-mail: "mailto:nmamadjonova@iom.int">nmamadjonova@iom.int