NewsTechnology

Portugal’s SEF hands over state-of-the-art technological equipment to the Migration and Borders Service of São Tomé and Príncipe

Under project RIMM (Reinforcement of Integrated Migration Management), financed by the European Commission and the Portuguese State budget, the Immigration and Borders Service (SEF) will hand over state-of-the-art technological equipment to the Migration and Borders Service of São Tomé and Príncipe (SMF) to equip this service with an Expert Central Unit (UCP), essential to the carry out of documentary expertise supporting the first line of border control in that country.

One of the main purposes of project RIMM is to contribute to the regulation of migration flows between the European Union and beneficiary third countries. Under the leadership of Portugal, through SEF, São Tomé remains a partner and Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde the beneficiaries.

Under this project as well, SEF has already lectured in full, last November, the second specialised training module to two employees of SMF which will integrate the Risk Assessment Unit being developed in the three beneficiary countries (São Tomé and Príncipe, Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde). This training, with the first module held in Cape Verde, in October 2019, had the purpose to enabling them with the proper tools, under a Borders Integrated Management, to proceed to the creation of a cooperation network and share of information and of analytical products among the involved countries, among which Portugal. The training has been held by SEF Inspectors of Investigation and Inspection working at the Borders Risk Assessment Unit (UAR), a SEF department responsible by the collection of information, treatment of data and production of supervisory reports.

In addition to the hand over of the technological equipment, and during this week, SEF has lectured, at SMF facilities in São Tomé, a new training course on Trafficking in Human Beings and Child at Risk under the border context and which closing session will be held on 4 December, at 12h30, chaired by the Minister of Defence and Legal Order, Óscar Sousa, and in which official entities from SEF, SMF, diplomatic will attend for the hand over of the corresponding diplomas.

This training fits within the purposes of the project for the combat against Trafficking in Human Beings, with a special emphasis on children. Within this purpose, the project develops capacity-building actions of entities with legal attributions in the combat against Trafficking in Human Beings, in particular the border control authorities, as well as information actions and prevention within potential victims.