Nairobi – In a rare face-to-face meeting, directors-general for immigration and heads of border security from the Horn of Africa region are participating in a summit to discuss common challenges in border management. This high-level Regional Border Management workshop, organized by IOM, the UN Migration Agency, is being held in Nairobi, Kenya from 24 to 26 October.

The workshop is taking place under the auspices of the Better Migration Management (BMM) programme, a regional, multi-year and multi-partner programme funded by the EU Trust Fund for Africa and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and coordinated by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Senior leaders in border management from eight countries – Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, and Tanzania – will take part in the workshop.

War and conflict often add new dynamics to border management, including large inflows and outflows of migrants, as well as the unwelcome scourge of human trafficking. It does not help matters that official cooperation is usually irregular, largely directed from the capital, and prone to misunderstandings.

The meeting is designed to discuss common issues within the Horn of Africa, and develop solutions for implementation, focusing on inter-agency and inter-governmental cooperation. The workshop, which is consistent with border management reform efforts launched by governments in the region, should result in the implementation of “best practices” in border management that will address identified border challenges.

The workshop will be preceded by a photo opportunity for the media. There will be a closing media briefing at the end.

IOM is one of the main implementing partners of BMM, alongside UNODC, GIZ, Expertise France, the Italian Department of Public Security, CIVIPOL and the British Council. Apart from Kenya, BMM also covers Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda and in close coordination with the EU Delegation South Sudan.

For more information, please contact the IOM Regional Office in Nairobi:
Charles Mkude, Tel: +254 715 903 291, Email: cmkude@iom.int
Wilson Johwa, Tel: +254 701 838 029, Email: wjohwa@iom.int