Paraguay – Paraguay yesterday (17/11) inaugurated the Personal Information and Registration System (PIRS) and the Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS) at Asuncion’s Silvio Pettirossi International Airport. The launch was attended by Paraguay President Horacio Cartes.

The PIRS-MIDAS systems, funded by the IOM Development Fund, were developed for Paraguay’s Ministry of Interior and its General Direction of Migration (DGM). The systems, installed at Silvio Pettirossi and Guaraní (Ciudad del Este) international airports, will improve the effectiveness of migration and border management by improving the registration and processing of migration data.

A biometric system that includes passport readers, fingerprint readers and web cameras for user registration will provide more accurate information of cross-border movements.

The project also involved restructuring immigration areas in both airports, improved signage and the training of approximately 50 immigration officials.

Minister of Interior Tadeo Rojas highlighted the importance of incorporating biometrics into the PIRS-MIDAS systems.

IOM Regional Director for South America Diego Beltrand noted that the project was an important stepping stone towards an efficient and transparent migration management system that would facilitate the movement of people, while respecting their human rights.

The project, which will eventually also lead to the modernization of 32 land border crossing points, will also benefit other border management agencies including the Ministry of Internal Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Police and the National Directorate of Civil Aviation.

For further information, please contact Lidia Nuñez at IOM Paraguay, Tel. +595 21 663389, Email: lnunez@iom.int