A total of 20 border guards and customs officers from 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. This BOMCA activity, conducted on September 20-22 in Almaty, aimed at strengthening the capacity of border control officers in identification and profiling procedures, enabling them to better categorize the different types of persons crossing the borders while also respecting document security, ethics and human rights.

During the training, the participants broadened their knowledges of EU standards in the provision of basic services to the most vulnerable migrant groups crossing the border: irregular migrants, refugees, victims of trafficking, minors and elderly persons. 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.