Da Nang, 12 December 2016

On Monday, 12 December 2016, the Advanced Training of Trainers (TOT) on Combating Migrant Smuggling has commenced in Da Nang. This training course comprises a key activity under the third phase of the project "Capacity Building and Communication Activities to Combat Migrant Smuggling in Viet Nam" as part of the overall framework of the Canadian Government's Anti-Crime Capacity Building Programme (ACCBP).

The training workshop was honoured by the presence of H.E. Ping Kitnikone, Canada Ambassador to Viet Nam. Madam Ambassador delivered a delightful speech during the opening session and participated in the first few training sessions.

The five-day training workshop is delivered by a number of trainers, both national and international, including Mr. Paul Priest - Head of the Programme Unit, IOM Viet Nam; Mr. Simon Duke - Immigration and Border Control Specialist; Mr. Donato Colucci - Specialist on Document Examination, IOM Regional Office in Bangkok; Ms. Lê Thị Vân Anh - Legal Specialist, Ministry of Justice; Mr. Phan Huấn - Deputy Head of Immigration Ofice, Noi Bai Intl Airport, A98 Ministry of Public Security and Ms. Le Thi Kim Dung - Specialist on Training Facilitation Skills.

Participants in the training include experienced border guards and immigration officers from national, provincial levels as well as from land, sea and air border ports from smuggling hotspots across the country. The TOT course aims to equip them with knowledge on not only migrant smuggling, but also border management, information collection and sharing, international and national legal framework, as well as how to detect fraudulent passports. The last two days of the workshop will focus on required skills for effective training facilitation.

After the TOT course, the participants themselves will undertake the role of trainers in the rollout of training for their counterpart frontline border officers in the coming months.