CZECHS TEACH IRAQIS IMMIGRATION CONTROL

UNCLAS PRAGUE 000306

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SENSITIVE
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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KDEM IZ EZ
SUBJECT: CZECHS TEACH IRAQIS IMMIGRATION CONTROL

REF: A. PRAGUE 0097

B. PRAGUE 0192

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Summary
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1. (U) Summary. The Czechs are helping the Iraqi government
learn how to manage Iraq's borders. In February, the Czechs
brought ten senior Iraqi government officials to Prague to
learn best practices in asylum and migration policy. The
visit -- sponsored by a partnership between the Czech
government and the International Organization for Migration
(IOM) -- was the first of three visits for Iraqi officials
planned in 2006. End summary.

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Ambassador Cabaniss Welcomed Iraqi Officials
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2. (U) Ambassador Cabaniss attended a dinner on February 27
to meet ten Iraqi government officials in Prague to take part
in a training program on border control, and other asylum and
migration issues. The dinner was hosted by Czech Deputy FM
Tomas Pojar and Iraqi Ambassador Al Dabbass. The Iraqi guests
included Abas Hassan, DG of Ministry Affairs, General
Secretariat of Ministers Council; Adnan Al-Asadi, Dep Min of

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Administration Affairs, Ministry of Interior; Nouri Mousa, DG
of Customs, Customs Department of the Ministry of Finance;
and other senior officials from the Ministries of Foreign
Affairs, Interior, Displacement and Migration, and Labor and
Social Affairs. Czech guests included Tomas Haisman, Director
of Asylum and Migration Policy Department, Ministry of
Interior; and Lucie Sladkova, head of the Czech office of the
International Organization for Migration (IOM).

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The Focus of the Program is Iraqi Border Security
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3. (U) In an interview with the Czech press, Dep FM Pojar
explained the program is part of the Czech's ongoing efforts
to help the new Iraqi government. The program includes three
visits to Prague in 2006.


4. (SBU) The Czechs chose border security as the focus of the
program because the IOM assessed the Iraqi migration
management system, and concluded the Iraqi government needed
training to improve its ability to: (1) ensure the security
of borders with Iran and Syria (including preventing illegal
migration and creating secure travel documents),(2) regulate
the stay of foreigners, and (3) facilitate the return of
Iraqis. As part of the first phase of the program the Iraqi
delegation visited:

-- the Prague Ruzyne Airport, to learn about airport security,
-- the Czech Alien and Border Police Headquarters and the
Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, to learn about
migration, visas, and border control, and
-- a Czech asylum facility, to learn about refugee facilities
administration.


5. (SBU) The project budget for the three visits in 2006 is
US$135,000 (The GOCR provides two-thirds of the funding, and
the IOM provides one-third and administrative support). For
other examples of Czech capacity building training and
humanitarian assistance to Iraq, see reftels.
CABANISS