Celina Ali
Islamabad: Pakistan’s border management capabilities received a major boost this week as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) handed over advanced border management equipment and transport vehicles to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), marking the successful completion of a four-year project funded by the Government of Japan.
The handover ceremony, held at FIA Headquarters in Islamabad, was attended by Japan’s Ambassador to Pakistan Akamatsu Shuichi, IOM Pakistan Chief of Mission Mio Sato, FIA Director General Dr Usman Anwar, and senior representatives of the Embassy of Japan, IOM and the FIA.
The initiative forms part of IOM’s broader efforts to strengthen migration governance in Pakistan by promoting safe, orderly and regular migration while enhancing protection-sensitive responses to human trafficking and the smuggling of migrants.
Under the project, IOM supplied biometric, information technology, surveillance, security, communication and solar-powered systems to 21 FIA operational points across the country. The assistance also supports the FIA’s National Command and Control Centre (NC3) at its headquarters, enhancing intelligence-led coordination against transnational crimes, including human trafficking, migrant smuggling and cybercrime.
Three dedicated transport vans were also handed over for deployment at Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore international airports to facilitate the safe and dignified reception and onward transportation of returning migrants.
The equipment delivery follows earlier investments in institutional development, including the refurbishment of the FIA Training Academy, completed in March this year. The academy now features upgraded information technology infrastructure, enhanced security systems and modern training facilities, enabling it to provide improved learning opportunities for new recruits and serving officers.
Training an average of 1,000 officers annually, the academy is expected to sustain the long-term impact of the project by strengthening Pakistan’s institutional capacity for protection-sensitive and rights-based border management.
The project also focused on capacity building, with more than 150 FIA officials receiving specialised training in rights-based and gender-sensitive border management, investigation techniques, and document and biometric verification. It also established a sustainable pool of FIA master trainers, including women, capable of independently delivering future training programmes within the organisation.
In addition, more than 200 participants, including FIA officials, provincial police personnel and civil society representatives, received training on victim identification, screening and referral mechanisms to strengthen Pakistan’s response to trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling. Women accounted for more than half of the participants.
Speaking at the ceremony, FIA Director General Dr Usman Anwar said the partnership reflected the importance of sustained international cooperation in addressing increasingly complex migration and border management challenges.
He said support for the National Command and Control Centre would significantly enhance the agency’s operational monitoring capabilities and strengthen coordinated responses to transnational crime.
Japan’s Ambassador to Pakistan Akamatsu Shuichi said effective border management must uphold both national security and human dignity, stressing that security and human rights should be viewed as complementary rather than competing objectives.
He reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to supporting strong, capable and humane border management institutions in Pakistan through continued bilateral cooperation.
IOM Pakistan Chief of Mission Mio Sato said modern border management extends beyond regulating cross-border movement and encompasses national security, economic connectivity, regional cooperation and the protection of human dignity.
She said Japan’s generous support had enabled IOM to strengthen institutions and modernise systems that would continue serving Pakistan’s evolving border management needs.
During the ceremony, Ambassador Akamatsu also visited the FIA’s National Command and Control Centre, where he received a briefing on its role in operational monitoring, intelligence coordination and responses to transnational crime. He later formally handed over one of the three transport vehicles to FIA officials.
At the conclusion of the event, IOM and the FIA expressed appreciation to the Government of Japan for its continued support in advancing migration governance and strengthening Pakistan’s border management systems. IOM also acknowledged the FIA’s leadership and cooperation throughout the implementation of the four-year project.
