The FINANCIAL — International Organization for Migration (IOM) with the financial assistance of European Union handed over modern equipment for document inspection to the Patrol Police Department. The equipment provided to the Patrol Police Department of the MIA complies with international standards and will assist Patrol Police officers in thorough examination of the documents and determination of their authenticity
IOM have donated 60 pieces of advanced border management equipment to the MIA. This included document inspection equipment, enabling passport control officers at key border crossing points in Georgia to do a quick check of the security features of passports and other travel documents. In case of doubt, they can refer passengers to a more thorough second-line inspection and examination.
The document inspection equipment produced in the United Kingdom is a triple function document examination instrument, with an ultraviolet lamp mounted above the working area for checking UV security features, a white lamp mounted behind a diffusing window for the examination of transmissive features, and a halogen lamp mounted at the rear of the working area for the examination of dry stamps and indented or erased writing, as reported by International Organization for Migration
The equipment handover ceremony was held at Tbilisi International Airport and was attented by the Director of the Patrol Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs – Vazha Siradze, Head of the Main Division of Border Management and Coordination of the Patrol Police Department – Guram Davitashvili, Director of the International Relations Department of the MIA – Ekaterine Machavariani, as well as the Chief of IOM Georgia Mission – Sanja Celebic Lukovac and the Deputy Head of Political, Press and Information Section of the EU delegation to Georgia- Monika Csaki.
These instruments are part of an EU funded support programme which includes equipment valued at EUR 10 million (GEL 34 Million) to Georgian authorities for use in areas of migration and border management. Second-line inspection capacities of the MIA have been upgraded over the past years with EU support, to the extent that all major border checkpoints in Georgia possess sophisticated equipment that allows MIA officials to check the veracity of travel documents and take adequate measures if fraud has been detected.
IOM purchased the equipment in the framework of the project “Sustaining Border Management and Migration Governance in Georgia (SBMMG)”. The aim of the project is to enhance the capacities of Georgian authorities in the areas of integrated border management and migration governance in line with relevant EU-Georgia cooperation frameworks and action plans, in particular the Visa Liberalization Action Plan, according to Ministry Of Internal Affairs.
“Improving border security is an area of close cooperation between the EU and Georgia. The equipment handed over today will enable Georgian authorities to more effectively fight irregular migration, and crime. This is crucial in view of the visa free travel to the EU , and is part of the EU’s wider support to ensure modern and well managed borders in Georgia and the safety and security of Georgians”, said Monika Csaki, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the EU Delegation to Georgia.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia and the European Union have implemented many successful projects within the framework of close cooperation that has significantly contributed to strengthening the capabilities of the Ministry.
European Parliament salutes the strengthening of EU-Georgia relations
