IOM’s Capacity Building in Migration Management (CBMM)
project in Haiti will be launched today in Port-au-Prince.

The CBMM project, funded by the Canadian Government’s
Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force (START), is a
comprehensive one-year programme aimed at strengthening and
enhancing Haiti's capacity to manage regular and irregular migrant
flows.

The project will provide a broad range of assistance to the
Haitian Immigration Service, including computer and office
equipment, document examination tools, expert assistance in
developing Haitian immigration legislation, procedural manuals,
management skills and facilitating cross-border cooperation and
discussion of vital migration issues with other Caribbean
nations.

The first activities, scheduled to start immediately, include
renovating Haiti’s checkpoints, providing them with stable
electricity, computers, a badly needed radio communication system
and operational vehicles.

"I strongly supported this project from the very beginning. I am
confident it will bring numerous benefits to our Immigration
Service, the Ministry of Interior, and all other agencies involved
in managing migration in Haiti," said Paul-Antoine Bien-Aime,
Haiti’s Minister of Interior.

The project covers all 20 ports of entry in Haiti, air, land and
seaports. While conditions and infrastructure differ and the two
international airports are better equipped, all ports of entry face
acute shortages of even basic equipment. Haitian immigration
officers work in particularly difficult and challenging conditions
at the four busy land checkpoints along the border with the
Dominican Republic. With a few exceptions, no checkpoints have
stable electricity supply or reliable means of communications.

Maureen Achieng, IOM’s Chief of Mission in Haiti, said
that while this programme tackles key administrative capacity gaps,
it will take more than a one-year project to make the Haitian
Immigration Service and border management agencies fully
sustainable and effective. "The project will offer a good
foundation to develop future capacity-building strategies that
would consolidate further resources and expertise for the Haitian
agencies responsible for migration management and controls.
Furthering regional cooperation on migration issues is an important
aspect of this undertaking, including combating terrorism and
trans-border crime in the Caribbean region."

Although the situation in Haiti is becoming more stable,
migration and border control agencies continue facing significant
challenges and their effectiveness remains limited. The Dominican
border remains an issue of particular concern with large flows of
irregular migration, drug and weapons smuggling and other
trans-border crime. While Immigration and Customs officials are
present at the checkpoints, there is no Border Guard service to
patrol and control the green and blue borders.

For more information please contact:

Alexander Kapirovsky

IOM Port-au-Prince

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