Integrated Border Management (IBM) contributes to security at the borders, and combating Cross-Border Organised Crime (CBOC) plays an important role in building a stable society.

With that in mind, IBM and CBOC were at the centre of the study visit conducted by the Mission to Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, at its seat in Warsaw, Poland.

Senior officers from the Ministry of Interior (MoI) and several border authorities in both Federal Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government participated in the expert exchanges focused on the best European practices in addressing IBM and CBOC.

The Senior Strategic Adviser who accompanied the Iraqi delegation to this trip commented: “[CBOC] is an international phenomenon which is best tackled through inter-agency cooperation at the national and global levels. This study visit to Frontex does just that: it shows the benefits of collaboration and information sharing by focusing on the European experience.”

This activity is aligned with the agreement between the Iraqi MoI and EUAM Iraq to prioritise IBM and combating CBOC. It comes in the framework of the Iraqi IBM and OC strategies, which consider international cooperation an important element in both areas.