Juba – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) together with the Directorate of Border Police of South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS) facilitated the first consultation workshop aiming to develop South Sudan’s Border Management and Border Security Strategy.

 The development of border management and Border Security strategy comprises of three deliverables like:

1. Consultative sessions which include workshops and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders i.e., governments, migrants, humanitarian actors, and expert groups,
2. Field assessments to selected border areas,
3. Validation workshop of the first draft of the strategy which will inform the government’s actions on border management and border security.

The workshop was part of IOM’s overall support to the Government of South Sudan under the Better Migration Management programme funded by the European Union and Germany brought together relevant border management and border security officials of key government entities.

This is the first of a series of consultative workshops aiming to identify government’s needs and expectations on the development of the Strategy, to present the findings of a desktop literature review and assessment of other polices and legislation pertaining to border management related to South Sudan; to consult on key information requirements for the development of the Strategy from critical stakeholders, among others.

“The general purpose of border management is to ensure the duly authorized, legitimate, safe, secure and efficient cross-border movement or transit of people, goods, conveyances, services and capital. It is critical to take into consideration current context and to foresee the benefits of well-managed borders for the welfare of South Sudanese and migrants” said Peter Van Der Auweraert, IOM South Sudan’s Chief of Mission.

“Border officials play a main role to facilitate migration, identify victims of trafficking, assist them and initiate investigations against the traffickers”, said Janika Walter, Head of Cooperation, Embassy of Germany.

She emphasized that border management and border security strategy contribute to improved cross-border relations not only with neighboring countries but also facilitate cross border collaboration to address transnational organized crimes, foster economic cooperation, peaceful and organized neighborhoods.

Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police appreciated the support from IOM, the European Union and Government of Germany and requested that the partners double their efforts in solidifying peace and services delivery to South Sudanese.

Better Migration Management Programme is a regional, multi-year, multi-partner programme, funded by the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It is implemented by British Council, Civipol, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) and IOM. BMM covers Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda.

The overall objective of the Better Migration Management programme is to address migration and enable national authorities and institutions to facilitate safe, orderly, and regular migration and to effectively address and reduce trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants within and from the Horn of Africa region using a human rights-based approach. The programme also supports civil society organizations to increase protection and assistance for vulnerable migrants who are often exposed to violence, enslavement, or exploitation.

For more information, please contact: Nabie Loyce at IOM South Sudan, Tel: +211 912 380 115 Email: nloyce@iom.int