Uganda - IOM has delivered four vehicles and one boat to the Government of Uganda to improve control of the country’s borders. The donation, which was funded by Japan, took place at the Kololo airstrip in Kampala.

“Standardized border controls require infrastructural, technical and human resources and these are a pre-requisite for attaining the ultimate goal of having open, but controlled and secure borders,” said Japanese Ambassador to Uganda Junzo Fujita, speaking at the ceremony.

The donations are part of a broader, Japanese-funded project implemented by IOM. It includes building Uganda’s infrastructure and information technology capacity at four border crossing points.

This includes the introduction of IOM’s Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS) for electronic capture of travellers’ data, as well as capacity building through 13 training sessions offered to over 200 officers from 10 separate agencies involved in border management.

The overall aim of the project is to enhance Uganda's capacity to improve both national and regional security in a part of the world confronted by persistent terrorist threats and high levels of transnational crime, including the smuggling of precious materials, weapons and people.

Ugandan State Minister for Internal Affairs James Baba said that the donated equipment “is vital for assisting the Government of Uganda to facilitate legitimate movement across the border, but at the same time to protect the country and preserve its national security.”

The boat will assist his Ministry’s Directorate for Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC) to improve border controls along the Lake Albert border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Lake Albert is 160 km in length and is one of Uganda’s largest lakes. The DCIC currently lacks the equipment to ensure adequate border patrols. The four vehicles will be used for patrolling Uganda’s other long land borders with neighbouring countries.

For more information, please contact IOM Uganda

Anna Tapia

Tel: +256 784 685 486

Email: atapia@iom.int

Nerimana Rifatbegovic

Email: nrifatbegovic@iom.int

or

Miwa Shiino

Email: mshiino@iom.int