On 15-16 May 2019 IOM gathered the main government stakeholders involved the in the development of a Georgian Advance Passenger Information (API) system in Tsinandali to further discuss the options submitted by three API service providers, who demonstrated their proposed tailored API solutions in Tbilisi on 2-3 April 2019. During the two-day workshop, the participants also discussed and finalized drafts for the two main national pieces of legislation for API / PNR project implementation in Georgia - the Rules for Transmitting Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) by air carriers to the Authorized Body“ and the Draft Law of Georgia on Introducing Amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses - to ensure that data can be collected from airlines in compliance with international standards. The meeting was facilitated by IOM’s Senior Integrated Border Management Expert and IBM Project Manager, Mr. Jason Clarke and a UK API expert, Mr. Andrew Priestley.

API will provide law enforcement agencies with the opportunity to pre-screen passenger arrivals and departures at airports; this process will increase security and improve resourcing capabilities while at the same time ensuring the streamlined and efficient processing of the vast majority of travelers seeking to enter and leave the territory.

This work is being supported from the EU-funded and IOM-led project “Sustaining Border Management and Migration Governance in Georgia”.