Immigration and Border Management

The ability to address migration issues comprehensively and cooperatively is today a fundamental requirement for responsible national governance, effective international relations and full participation in international or regional institutions. While the prevailing view is that migration has been mainly a positive force for development in both countries of origin and destination, unregulated migration can have social, financial and political costs for individuals, societies and governments alike. Comprehensive, transparent and coherent approaches to immigration and border management processes, involving all countries in the migration continuum, can help minimize the negative impact of migration and preserve its integrity as a natural social process.

As the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration, IOM is increasingly called upon by States to assist in addressing complex border management challenges. In general, IOM’s immigration and border management programmes encompass seven broad areas of expertise: (1) Border and migration management assessments; (2) Capacity-building for Border and Migration Management; (3) Border management; (4) Identity Management; (5) curbing people smuggling; (6) migration data management, intelligence and risk analysis; (7) immigration and visa support solutions. Over 100 border-management related capacity building projects are implemented worldwide at any one time.

In Thailand, IOM supports the Royal Thai Government and regional counterparts to tackle human smuggling and trafficking by enhancing their capacity to detect fraudulent documentation, share information and identify victims. All project interventions are designed to directly support government’s policies and priorities with a strong focus on capacity building for relevant government officials at the provincial and central levels to intercept and assist victims of smuggling at borders.