Border control standards with a special focus on ethics were discussed during a regional workshop on border checks held in Bishkek between 31 May-2 June. A total of 20 border guards and customs officers from all five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) were trained to use modern techniques and apply international standards in carrying out border checks and to manage mixed migration flows in accordance with international standards. Participants shared their experience and discussed the issues of border control organisation in their countries - administrative rules, regime, tools and methods of control with a focus on flow management. BOMCA experts based on the Latvian experience demonstrated examples of technical equipment at checkpoints and practices of optimisation of checkpoint activities. This BOMCA activity, conducted in cooperation with IOM and UNHCR, aimed at strengthening the capacity of border and customs control officers, enabling them to better categorise the different types of persons crossing the borders while also respecting document security, ethics and human rights.

Also, the participants broadened their knowledges of international standards in provision of basic services to vulnerable migrant groups crossing the border - refugees and victims of trafficking. This means that border guards/customs officers must be able to correctly identify migrants and assess their needs, provide services or refer them to a service provider, and establish cooperation for effective migrant referral. A separate session was dedicated to border check ethics and public service standards, which include sensitivity to gender, ethnicity, protecting migrants’ data and respecting migrants’ rights and dignity. 

Based on the workshop findings, the expert team is preparing a set of recommendations for advancing quality control at checkpoints and introducing cooperation agreements at border crossing points.