Strengthening Law Enforcement

UNODC Southern Africa's most recent project - Strengthening Law Enforcement Capacity (Border Control Operations) and Criminal Justice Response to Smuggling of Migrants and Trafficking in Persons - is a multi-cooperative approach aimed at stemming illegal migration by preventing and combating smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons from Africa to Europe.

Supported by the European Union, the project aims to assist in the implementation of South Africa's National Integrated Border Management Strategy (NIBMS) 2008-2010 by providing technical assistance to promote integrated border management through enhanced partner cooperation. The projects aim in to achieve cooperation, coordination, mutual support, information sharing, and joint operations between applicable agencies.

Through a partnership between UNODC Southern Africa, the South Africa Border Control Operations Coordinating Committee (BCOCC), the Netherlands and Europol, the project will benefit vulnerable individuals, especially women and children, and end with the following anticipated results:

  • Enhanced capacities of border control agencies to implement the 2008 - 2010 NIBMS;
  • Improved skills to detect fraudulent and fraudulently obtained travel documents and better exchange of information between the inter-agency team at ports of entry, as well as consular offices abroad;
  • Improved knowledge on smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons;
  • Improved international cooperation at the bilateral level or through Europol or Interpol; and
  • Increased awareness on smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons.