DUSHANBE, February 21, 2012, Asia-Plus — The U.S. Embassy’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Office (INL) funded International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) multi-year assistance project to the Khorog Border Guard Training Center, the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe said.
Over the course of the year, IOM has trained 70 Tajik and 90 Afghan border guards on border and immigration control. The 12-month training covered the basic tenets of border security, cross border cooperation, visa policy, detection of fraudulent documents, counter-narcotics, combating human trafficking, and anti-terrorism. During this phase of the project, IOM provided document examination and language lab equipment to the Khorog Training Center, along with an instructor development course and a computerized tracking system for border guard professional development. The goal of the joint trainings is to develop the skills of border guards serving at official border check points, and facilitate cross-border cooperation in the fight against drugs and other crime at the border.
The sixth and final phase of this project will expand support to the Dushanbe Border Guard Training Center, beginning with the first of 10 joint trainings on March 26. The Khorog Training Center will train border guards from Ishkashim, Shugnan and Ruzvay, and the Dushanbe Training Center will train trainees from Sherkhan Bandar, Kokul, Kulma, and the International Airport of Kabul. IOM will conduct train 100 Afghan and 50 Tajik Border Guards, and will conduct two train-the-trainer workshops. Through INL funding, IOM will provide a language lab to the Dushanbe Training Center, along with updated equipment and instructional materials for both centers. Instructors and border guards from the training centers will visit border checkpoints on the Tajik and Afghan sides of the border to further familiarize themselves with the working environment, engage in practical training, and measure the impact of the training. In addition to these efforts, IOM will organize a study tour for six members of the Border Guards Service to visit the Ukrainian Academy of Border and Immigration Control in order for them to learn best practices and establish ties with counterpart institutions.
The United States Government is committed to continuing its support and assistance to the Tajik law enforcement community. The INL section of the U.S. Embassy has cooperated with Tajikistan’s law enforcement agencies since 1992 to enhance border security, strengthen rule of law, and combat drug trafficking.
