An IOM staff member showcases fraudulent passports to FIA immigration officials to improve awareness and detection of fraudulent documents. [Hassan Ali Abbasi/IOM Pakistan 2024]

Islamabad, 17 May — The International Organization for Migration (IOM), with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark conducted specialized training for Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials on Document Examination and Fraud Detection Procedures at the FIA Academy in Islamabad from 6 to 17 May 2024.

The training was organized as part of the “Strengthening Pakistan’s Capacities to Countering Trafficking In Persons And Smuggling Of Migrants” project funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Denmark and implemented by IOM Pakistan, in collaboration with the IOM Headquarters. Under the project, IOM is supporting the Government of Pakistan, most notably the FIA in combating Smuggling of Migrants (SOM) and Trafficking in Persons (TIP).

Darijus Pamparas, Senior Programme Manager at IOM Pakistan, emphasized the importance of effective border management and the growing need to stay updated on the latest developments in travel document examinations during his opening remarks.

The training session was conducted in two separate batches of five Days, bringing together 32 immigration officials from across Pakistan to for an in-depth study of travel document inspection and fraud detection. The training covered areas such as the production, security features and international standards of travel documents, electronic passports and biometrics. Additionally, it included methods and equipment used for the detection of fraudulent documents, among other topics.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Ehsan Mansoor, Director FIA Training, thanked IOM for continued support and remarked that access to latest knowledge and tools is essential for immigration officials to combat human trafficking and smuggling of migrants. He also encouraged participants to share the knowledge gained during the training with team members.

As part of the training, officials were also provided with latest document examination kits, which are expected to significantly improve and increase the detection of fraudulent documents.

For further information, please contact:

Maha Akbar, National Communications Officer, maakbar@iom.int

Suzana Paklar, Senior Programme Coordinator (Partnerships), spaklar@iom.int