How can Communication lines between the different stake holders involved in border control

be improved? .

By Maj. (Rtd) John Kazoora

2

STAKEHOLDERS

• There are many stakeholders involved in border control including; nation states (government machinery) and their citizens, the International Organization for Migration, INTERPOL, and global organizations working on aviation, marine, airport and port security, immigration and customs, national, regional and global border control agencies

• All these stakeholders however require effective communication lines for effective coordination

• Some of the communication channels include IT Savvy (click of a button), social networking sites such as Twitter, Face book, Blogs.

• Promoting national, regional and global discussions Liaison & coordination of border control institutions

PURPOSE

Border Controls exist to:

• Promote security and safety measures • Regulate legal immigration• Prevent Illegal Immigration • Control excise tax• Prevent smuggling of drugs, weapons, endangered

species and other illegal or hazardous materials • Control the spread of human, animal and plant

diseases

IMPROVING COMMUNICATION CHANNELS• An example of how communication channels

between the various stakeholders involved in border control can be improved is the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Capacity Building Programme Against Terrorism (ICPAT).

• ICPAT was established in 2006 to serve as a regional program to contribute to national capacity building activities to counter terrorism in IGAD member states. It is due to run until mid-2010.

• Its purpose is to help build the legal, organizational, border control and training capacities of IGAD member states

THE CASE OF IGAD

• The IGAD Capacity Building Programme Against Terrorism (ICPAT) is aimed at promoting security in the IGAD region.

• The purpose of this component is to assess the practical implementation of border control along common borders

• It is also aimed at proposing measures for improvement where appropriate

• ICPAT is also aimed at facilitating support for such improvements where possible, and to improve inter-departmental cooperation on border control.

ACTIVITIES UNDER ICPAT

• Undertaking work on both the practical monitoring of the borders and other points of entry.

• This is done through desktop research and field studies, with a focus on borders of member countries

• At national and bi-national meetings, identifying the weaknesses of border control

• Proposing how best countries could manage their borders, including the open spaces that are the hallmarks of borders in the IGAD region

• Forwarding implementable recommendations and proposals for better border management, and following up on their implementation

ACTIVITIES UNDER ICPAT

• Promoting an IGAD-wide discussion on regional border security

• Liaising with such institutions as the International Organization for Migration, INTERPOL, and global organizations working on aviation, marine, airport and port security, immigration and customs, to bring technical expertise and possible other support to IGAD member states.

EFFECTIVE CO-ORDINATION

• The need for intergovernmental coordination arises because terrorists do not respect borders, but law enforcement authorities must (do so) as crime knows no boundaries

• What remains difficult to evaluate is how to structure the coordination on an intergovernmental basis.

• This represents complex management issues of coordination not only in managerial terms (structure and culture) but also because of distinctive national laws and policies

THE US/CANADA EXAMPLE

• As governments geared up to fight terrorism they realized that their actual governmental structures were somewhat inadequate to deal with these issues

• It was soon realized that a better coordination between different government agencies was required

• The 9/11 events showed clearly the difficulties in coordination between intelligence agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

• Difficulties also existed between Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), U.S. Customs, the Coast Guard and the Bureau of Consular Affairs

• E.g. the U.S Customs Service has had to take into account more than 400 laws and 34 international treaties, agreements & conventions on behalf of many agencies.

USA/CANADA

• In response to these problems, the U.S. government created a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) which brought together 22 federal departments

• DHS is responsible for the coordination of these departments.

• DHS represented the greatest restructuring since the Cold War-spawned reorganization dating from 1947.

• Many agencies merged into the Border and Transportation Directorate which is now responsible for insuring border security.

• On the Canadian side, the following government agencies correspond to their American counterparts:

• Citizenship and Immigration, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada Customs and Revenue Agency

THE CASE OF UGANDA

• In Uganda, the implementation of a national operational coordinating mechanism in border control operations is guided by different laws and regulations.

• The legal framework for border control in Uganda includes the Aliens (Registration and Control) Act, the Control of Alien Refugees Act

• It also includes the; Immigration Act, Passports Act, Uganda Citizenship Act and the Uganda Citizenship and Immigration Control Act.

• The Ugandan passport was changed in 1993 to include advanced security features and to incorporate information in a scanable format.

• Uganda also successfully undertook the computerizing of all points of entry and the stop-list system.

THE CASE OF THE AFRICAN UNION (AU)

• The AU Plan of Action for border control provides another channel

• Under this plan of action, member states are required to:

1. Computerize all points of entry in order to monitor the arrival and departure of all individuals as a pre-requirement to keeping a passport stop-list containing information on individuals whose applications would require special attention or who may not be issued with travel documents;

2. Check applications against the passport stop-list and the population register before the document is issued; and

3. Inspect all passports for authenticity, acceptability and prior endorsement.

CHALLENGES

Enforcement

• Harmonizing prosecution strategy • Curving out partnerships• Fear of human rights abuse

Intelligence

• Rivalry and lack of Information sharing among various security agencies

• Privacy issues (e.g. concerns of diplomatic immunity and protocol

• Increasing cognitive capacity (public alertness )• Inadequate technological capacity (such as gadgets and

satellites)

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Increase international interoperability and communication (such as real-time, integrated shared databases on criminal records, investigations in progress, and outstanding warrants) among the various agencies.

• Such a united and coordinated effort will be more successful at intercepting transnational crime and cross border insurgency.

• Develop a mechanism to enable agents from one country to pursue fleeing suspects across the border to maintain visual surveillance on their whereabouts until authorities from the other country are able to respond.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Harmonize the sentences for smugglers and traffickers of narcotics, arms, illicit products, human and endangered species between the different countries without eligibility for early release for those convicted in one country.

• Increase the use of up to date technology to improve security in the areas between ports-of-entry to provide real-time information on threats to enforcement teams.

• Build capacity of the various integrated border enforcement teams-trainings, resources

RECOMMENDATIONS

National Security Screening• In-depth screening of persons and goods in order to curb

terrorism, War Crimes, Organized Crime, Subversion• Strategic border points for the entry and exit of imports and

exports respectively 

Analysis and Assessment• Intelligence products (Counter-Intelligence)• Threat assessments (Early Warning Mechanisms)• Strategic intelligence

Information sharing• Better management of relationships with domestic and

international partners including the program administration of Customs Mutual Assistance Agreements (CMAA) and other instruments.

• Improve cognitive capacity among the masses (public alertness)

RECOMMENDATIONS

Border Intelligence Internationally

• Intelligence Liaison among the various agencies • Interdiction and interception: Multinational

Interception Operations (MIOs) and Container Security Initiative (CSI)

• International partnerships and relationships Domestic Intelligence

• Tactical and operational intelligence collection and dissemination

• Participation in Joint Forces Operation and Human sources

END

Thank You

Questions?