IOM Georgia has successfully completed the four-year project ‘Support to Integrated Border Management in Georgia’ with a total budget of EUR 8.2 million. The project was implemented in the framework of the EU4 Security, Accountability, and Fight against Crime in Georgia (SAFE) Programme and aimed at reinforcing Georgia’s Integrated Border Management system and combatting irregular migration and transnational crime.

Throughout the project, IOM has implemented comprehensive capacity building interventions, and trained 500 border personnel (50% of whom were women) in key border management topics via the EU and national trainers. 

“The project has contributed to reinforcing the effectiveness of Georgia’s border management system, in view of aligning Georgia’s practices with the EU standards in this key area. The project also made significant efforts to support the Government of Georgia in the development and implementation of Georgia’s Integrated Border Management Strategy 2023-2027 and its Action Plan,” commented Sanja Celebic Lukovac, IOM Chief of Mission in Georgia.

Georgian border authorities, including the Border Police, Patrol Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Customs Department of the Revenue Service, and the Operative-Technical Agency of the State Security Service, were equipped with advanced border surveillance systems, sophisticated equipment, maritime boats and vehicles worth EUR 6 million.

Throughout the project implementation, IOM Georgia engaged international experts from EU member states, notably the Netherlands, Greece, Slovenia, and Germany, to share their expertise on topics such as interview skills, document verification, and open-source intelligence.

In collaboration with national trainers who had previously undergone comprehensive Training of Trainers (ToT) courses, a series of tailored training sessions was conducted across several border regions, enhancing the competencies of frontline border officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Revenue Service. 

IOM Georgia also organized study visits to Estonia and Belgium, allowing EU member state colleagues to share their experiences and practices with their Georgian counterparts.

The sophisticated border equipment and systems donated to the border authorities will further enhance the ability of border guards to conduct efficient border surveillance and interdiction activities, search and rescue operations, non-intrusive and physical customs control measures, and coordinate and respond to border incidents. This will increase the effectiveness of border control procedures in Georgia and reinforce the detection and prevention of transnational crime.

According to Nicholas Cendrowicz, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Georgia, the EU has invested over 15 million euros in helping Georgia better manage migration and its borders over the past ten years.

“This has become even more important now that Georgia is a candidate country to join the EU, which means that Georgia will have to align its legislation with that of the EU, and also prepare itself for managing what will become an external border of the EU.” 

The project followed up on comprehensive EU support over the last 10 years, dedicated to strengthening Georgia’s immigration and border management capabilities, to cement compliance with relevant EU-Georgia Agreements and the visa liberalisation benchmarks.