Baghdad — In 2020, the Government of Iraq (GoI) is working towards improving migration management and rebuilding the capacity of border points. These are priority actions to create the conditions for sustainable security and, therefore, safe orderly and regular migration. Strengthened borders are also critical components that promote economic growth, which has become ever more important in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Government of Australia is providing the International Organization for Migration (IOM) with USD 840,000 to support the GoI, by implementing the seventh phase of the Capacity Building for Migration Management Programme (CBMMP) in Iraq. Principal partners are the Ministries of Interior (MoI), including the Kurdistan Regional Government’s MoI, and the Border Points Commission.

The programme began in 2006 with a comprehensive border assessment which helped the Government define priorities and chart a course forward. CBMMP supports strategic, tactical and operational interventions that strengthen the GoI’s capacity to manage its borders and promote safe, orderly and regular migration.

The new phase of CBMMP is geared towards three key outcomes: strengthened coordination among relevant entities, through increased capacity and standardisation of Border Points Commission processes; strengthened infrastructural capacity and utility of border management centres by upgrading premises and through the provision of specialised equipment; and increased skills and experience among officials, through staff training and provision of materials. Programming will operate in Sulaymaniyah, Baghdad and Basra Governorates.

These interventions are now more critical than ever as they improve internal coordination to address current and emerging risks. Migration and health are intricately linked — local, regional and global human mobility are complex and dynamic phenomena, and complex migratory flows put extensive pressure on the government’s capacity to effectively manage its borders. IOM Iraq is working with the Border Points Commission alongside other entities, to support an integrated border management approach that is responsive to the dynamics of human mobility and outbreak trends.

CBMMP is an essential piece of IOM Iraq’s Migration Management portfolio, which also supports understanding and management of migration flows, developing policies and regulations, and enhancing cooperation with International Organizations and other States. In 2020, IOM Iraq is also supporting the Government with the development of a National Migration Strategy, and mainstreaming migration into development plans.

In addition to long-term support of IOM’s CBMMP initiative, the Government of Australia also supports humanitarian assistance in Iraq for Internally Displaced Persons and returnees through protection, infrastructure and sustainable livelihoods activities.

For more information please contact IOM Iraq’s Public Information Unit, Tel: +964 751 402 2811, Email: iraqpublicinfo@iom.int