CHALLENGES IN TRAINING FOR BORDER CONTROLMARTIN REEVES MANAGER: OPERATIONS DECISION SUPPORT DEFENCE INSTITUTE martinr@sadi.co.za

Note: The opinions expressed herein are those of the presenter and do not in any way reflect the official standpoint of the Dept of Defence or any of its components. All material used has been sourced, unless otherwise stated, from public domain sites.

Aim of PresentationThis presentation will contain much that is familiar to all delegates in that it touches on issues that are well known and have been extensively studied. The emphasis though is to look at these issues from the viewpoint of training.

This presentation does not pretend to supply answers and solutions to the training problems surrounding border control, but instead will try to stimulate discussions and, hopefully, give delegates some ideas that they will be able to develop in their professional capacities.

Structure of presentationIntroductionSome Potential Border Control PitfallsThe Concept of Border Control as a Regional CapabilityNational & Regional CooperationWho is Responsible for Training?Training & SustainabilitySpeciality Areas Relating to Border ControlLegislation & DocumentationInternational Stakeholders & InterfacesDiscussions & Conclusion

IntroductionBorders have, throughout history, often been military/political bastions often acting as the edge of the world.Control = kill any outsider trying to get in!

Introduction (cont.)Borders were artificially created during the expansion of colonial powers. Compare these with natural borders.

Introduction (cont.)European borders were also hardened by military, but have developed in the modern era into little more than historical/social demarcations.

Some Potential Border Control PitfallsAfrican borders => physical size, terrain, distance from C2.Border control must have clear governmental guidelines & policies & these must be visible to those who have to enforce them at the front lineThe effectiveness of border control can be (& has been) undermined by several general factors, including:Bribery & corruption of officialsLack of knowledgeable staffLack of sufficient staffFacilities and equipment that are ageing, inappropriate or even lacking entirelyAny training regimen aimed at future border control must address these general problem areas as well as those problems specific to a particular border. In addition, beware of trying to apply First World solutions to Third World reality.

The Concept of Border Control as a Regional CapabilityAfrican borders & border control present a set of problems to regional groupings of countriesRegional governments must remember that a border has TWO sides!Cooperation across borders Regional Stability (SADC)Control is extended not just the borderlineBorder Control is no longer (if it ever was!) a matter of checking movements through a border post or across a river this is Borderline Control, one aspect of the broader subject of Border ControlThe complexities of modern border control can be looked at and addressed via the principles of Capability Management

Components of a CapabilityP - ersonelO - rganisationS ustainment & SupportT - rainingE quipmentD octrine & DocumentationF - acilitiesI nformation & IntelligenceT echnology

National & Regional CooperationThe initiation of this may not be the responsibility of border control bodiesPolitical initiatives will & must drive this cooperation (Note the National Crime Prevention Strategy {1997} that was tasked to develop a national border control strategy)MOAs AccordsBi-lateral agreementsEtc.Lack of cooperation makes life very difficult for those manning the border posts.When cooperation does exist, how are Border Control personnel exposed to it? How does it influence their work & how is it addressed in their training?

Who Is Responsible For Training?Currently, training is often carried out per individual organisation & focuses on that organisations area of responsibilityHow can we change this?Must we change this?Compare to joint exercises carried out by civil defence, police & military. Is there a place for this with border control stakeholders?Who will do the training?Many instances of open tenders for trainingSpecialists & consultants (esp. w.r.t. technologies)

Training & SustainabilityTraining should start with personnel selection, based on certain criteria, but we are often faced with a given i.t.o. current staff complimentTraining must therefore be phased and mapped to the strengths of the people being trained i.e. who can be trained to do what?Training in Border Control must address the complexities of the current situation. In addition, changing aspects (e.g. refugee situation) of, & emerging technologies (e.g. biometrics) influencing border control must also be addressed via refresher and supplementary training in order to sustain an effective border control capability

Speciality Areas Relating to Border ControlModern border control has to take cognisance of a variety of aspects that can be seen as speciality areas in their own right. These can include:TerrorismDisease transmission (incl. agricultural pests)Human traffickingMovement of refugees, IDPs & migrantsTrafficking in endangered speciesTrans-border Organised Crime (incl. smuggling, arms trafficking & money laundering)Personal document securityEtc.How do you train people in all of these? Note also interface with other stakeholders.Option: Create a Capability (POSTEDFIT)

Legislation & DocumentationVariety of both national & international legislation exists that are applicable to border controlLegislation exists w.r.t. issuing and use of personal documentation for trans-border travel (passports, visas, vaccination certificates, etc.) Border control personnel must have a working knowledge of the application of this legislationPersonal documents are tools (i.e. targets for tampering and misuse) used by potential illegal immigrantsAre border personnel familiar with documentation security measures? Can they spot forgeries? Do they have access to specialists & databases to support them?POSTEDFIT

International Stakeholders & InterfacesGovernmental bodies National Govt. Depts. SARSEtc.Governmental bodies Regional SADC & AUInternational bodies linked to governments InterpolEuropolUnited NationsWHONational & International Non-governmental bodiesInternational Aid Agencies MediaEnvironmental OrganisationsHow does Border Control liaise with all of these various stakeholders?Responsibility?Guidelines / SOPs?Reporting?

Acknowledgements & ReferencesI would like to acknowledge my colleagues at Defence Institute, notably Ben du Toit, who supplied me with valuable insight & information.The following are a few (of the many!) publications that may be referenced for further information as well as a couple of web pages worth visiting: Border Control Services and Security Sector Reform, Alice Hills, July 2002. Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Services, Paper No 37Performance Incentives for Border Control Officers, Robert L. Holler, August 2004. USAIDCross-Border Corruption: Points of Vulnerability & Challenges for Reform, Michael Johnston, Dept of Political Science, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY. Joint Workshop on Corruption & Integrity Improvement Initiatives, Paris, October 1997www.unodc.orgwww.linkedin.com

Some Points for Further DiscussionCommand / Management structures & responsibilitiesStaff selection criteria for specialised trainingChanging scenarios finger on the pulse how can this be achieved?Joint training exercises cf. military training operations?Training curricula & presentation responsibilities?Career paths in Border ControlFunding for training?

Thank YouQuestions?