Belarus, Ukraine border guards visit Denmark and Sweden
In June 2014, a joint high-level delegation of Belarusian and Ukrainian border guards visited Copenhagen (Denmark) and Malmo (Sweden) to study these countries’ international cooperation framework in border and immigration control. The visit was organized as part of the EU-funded project, “Strengthening surveillance capacity on the green and blue border between Belarus and Ukraine (SURCAP)”.
Through a number of site visits to the police, border and immigration authorities of Denmark and Sweden, both central and field offices, as well as the border checkpoints at the international airports in Copenhagen and Malmo, alongside the Nordic Council of Ministers and IOM, the officers from Ukraine and Belarus acquired theoretical and practical knowledge on the current state of and best practices in international cooperation in immigration, asylum, and border control/operations in Denmark and Sweden.
Moreover, during the study trip, the border officials from the visiting countries established working relations with their colleagues from the border police units and respective immigration authorities of both host countries. In order to ensure further sustainability and long lasting effects, the Belarusian and Ukrainian border guards will share the acquired knowledge with the respective staff of their own border agencies and remain in contact with their new Danish and Swedish partners.
Background:
The regional project titled, “Strengthening surveillance capacity on the green and blue border between Belarus and Ukraine (SURCAP),” was carried out in March 2012 – June 2014. The project was funded by the European Union and implemented by IOM with the support of ICMPD. The project’s budget for the two countries was EUR 765,000, covering the training component of a larger, EU-funded initiative. In 2014 – 2016 IOM will implement the 2nd Phase of the SURCAP project that envisages both training and technical components.
For more detailed information, please contact the responsible IOM officer in Minsk:
Pavel Kholod, Programmes Coordinator, IOM Minsk, tel: (375 17) 284 40 82
