Nettuno, 25 September 2024 – In collaboration with the Italian Ministry of the Interior and Côte d’Ivoire Ministry of the Interior and Security (MIS), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) organized a training course at the Nettuno Police Academy in Italy from 23 September to 4 October 2024, targeting fifteen (15) Ivorian police officers deployed at borders. They come from several police units, including the Fight against Illegal Migrant Smuggling and Trafficking in Persons Unit (ULTIM), Abidjan Special Port and Airport Police Offices, as well as mixed police offices (Commissariats Mixtes) and border police stations.  

This capacity-building in border management, the fight against irregular migration and transnational organized crime, contributes to humane and orderly management of migration in line with IOM’s mandate, in a context of migration and security challenges in Côte d’Ivoire due to insecurity and terrorism upsurge in the region. 

Participants were able to improve their knowledge of modules such as security at points of entry, the fight against document fraud, human trafficking and migrant smuggling, and protection of human rights in migration management. They also made study visits to Fiumicino and air and forensic police stations, where they were confronted with the operational activities at European borders and were able to exchange best practices in migration management. 

The closing ceremony of this workshop was chaired by the Representative of the Ministry of the Interior of the Italian Republic, in the presence of Representatives of the Italian Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire, Minister of the Interior and Security of Côte d’Ivoire and IOM Côte d’Ivoire Chief of Mission.  

“This activity was organized within the framework of a broader partnership between Côte d’Ivoire and Italy, as reflected in a security agreement, a bilateral relationship and a technical protocol on security between the two countries,” highlighted General Touré Seydou, Representative of the Minister of the Interior and Security of Côte d’Ivoire, in his remarks.  

Mr Landoli Luigi, Representative of the Italian Minister of the Interior, also emphasised: “This training course symbolizes the solid cooperation between Italy and Côte d’Ivoire in addressing migration and security challenges at Côte d’Ivoire’s borders. Through my voice, I would like to express how proud the Minister of the Interior of the Italian Republic is to contribute to these efforts for more efficient and secure management of Côte d’Ivoire’s borders.” This collaboration, supported by IOM, backs Côte d’Ivoire’s efforts to equip itself with more effective tools for securing its borders, while developing skills needed to respond to contemporary transnational challenges. 

This initiative was financed by the Italian Ministry of the Interior through the project “Strengthening the Ivorian Government’s Operational Capacity in Migration and Border Management (Renforcement des capacités opérationnelles du Gouvernement ivoirien en matière de gestion des migrations et des frontières -CIVIT)”, implemented by the International Organization for Migration in Côte d’Ivoire. The project also includes the construction of four border police stations, capacity-building for the Government of Côte d’Ivoire in border management and the fight against cross-border crime, as well as the promotion of interstate cooperation for coordinated migration management.  

***

For more information, please contact: 

Nadège NTIBAREKERWA, IOM Côte d’Ivoire, nntibareker@iom.int