From 17-19 May, the Border Management Programme in Central Asia held a workshop in Nur-Sultan on the investigation of cross-border crimes such as trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants. The workshop targeted the representatives of the investigation and criminal intelligence units of the Committee of National Security, Border Service, Ministry of the Interior Affairs Border Guard Academy and Academy of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Kazakhstan, specialising in investigating trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants.  This is the second workshop of its kind conducted by the BOMCA Programme in the Central Asian region, following similar activity this year in Kyrgyzstan.

This workshop strengthened the investigation capacities of criminal intelligence officers and investigators of the national security, internal affairs and border guard agencies in the field of cross-border crimes. The workshop looked into the United Nations and European legal instruments for countering trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants as well as novel methods of investigating organised cross-border crimes, profiling and identification techniques of victims of trafficking. Special attention was paid to case studies and practical exercises.

As a result of discussions and analysis of the existing practices, a pocket-size handbook is planned to be developed as a tool to support officers in addressing cases of trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants.