Djibouti - A three-day training for immigration, police and coastguards officials on migration and border management opens today in Djibouti.

The course, the first of its kind, aims to increase the capacity of government officials to respond to organized trans-national crime, including human smuggling and trafficking in persons.

It will also address Djibouti’s other migration needs,  including the improvement of protection of vulnerable migrants travelling to and through Djibouti, the provision of lifesaving humanitarian assistance and the reduction of fatality among  the migrants.

Djibouti is one of the countries in the Horn of Africa faced with increased migratory pressure from irregular migrants whose numbers have continued to rise in recent years.

The government of Djibouti has recently stepped up efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to vulnerable migrants, including health support and voluntary return assistance. So far this year, Djibouti coastguards have rescued 2,049 migrants in distress at sea, compared to 2,622 in 2011.

IOM is working closely with the authorities to improve migrant data collection, address irregular migration and encourage cooperation an information sharing on migration within government agencies.

The funding for the training has been provided by the Government of Japan and the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).

For more information, please contact 

Doumbia Bakari
IOM Djibouti
Tel. +253 7701 5882
Email: bdoumbia@iom.int