Madagascar - IOM, in cooperation with the Directorate for Intelligence, Immigration and Emigration Control of the Malagasy Ministry of Public Security, this week held a five-day training workshop on: Travel Documents: Control and Safety.

Later this year, Madagascar will host two major international Summits: the COMESA Summit in October and the Summit of La Francophonie in November. The events will see the attendance of an unprecedented number of heads of State and government and will boost the number of travelers entering the country. Security will be paramount.

The workshop was held at the Emergency Coordination Center at Antananarivo’s International Airport. Participants included representatives from the Border Police; Homeland Security’s Specialized Investigations and Document Fraud Detection Units; and from the Directorates of Protocol and Information Management of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The training, which was facilitated by a border management expert from IOM’s African Capacity Building Center (ACBC) in Moshi, Tanzania, focused on procedures for travel documents control, verification equipment usage, and on applicable international norms and standards – in particular ICAO standards. Participants were then tested and monitored during an on-site evaluation at the airport.

One trainee noted: “Now I have the skills to ascertain that the information on the travel document does indeed correspond with that of the person in front of me. In many ways, the nature and features of the document speaks to us and as such, it becomes much easier to detect fraud.”

IOM has long recognized the importance of travel documents and the critical role of immigration and border control officials in handling such documentation at key stages of the migration process. The appropriate use of valid travel documents and the presence of capable border control officials who have been fully trained in document examination constitute the cornerstone of safe and orderly migration.

“We are happy to share IOM’s expertise in the control of travel documents authenticity and fraud detection. Border police will work in the coming months under increased pressure and this training will contribute to the security of the upcoming major international events that the country will host,” said IOM Madagascar Head of Office Daniel Silva y Poveda.

For more information, please contact Daniel Silva y Poveda at IOM Madagascar, Tel: +261.32565 4954, Email: dsilva@iom.int