UK’s Immigration Enforcement International provides training to identify fake travel documents
The United Kingdom is supporting the Government of Guatemala on improving its skills to identify fake travel documents at main immigration checkpoints.
Toby Dudley, Immigration Liaison Officer at the British Embassy in Bogota
The training is being delivered by the Immigration Enforcement International (IEI) agency of the UK’s Home Office to more than 100 Guatemalan officials. Representatives from the National Forensic Institute (INACIF), the General Prosecutor’s Office (MP), Immigration Directorate and the National Police (DISETUR), are participating in the activity.
The course is led by Toby Dudley, Immigration Liaison Officer at the British Embassy in Bogota. The training takes place all week and involves close interaction between the participants who examine and compare genuine travel documents, forgeries or adulterations.
At the end of the course participants will have increased their knowledge about the main security measures included on many travel documents and understand the main techniques used in the identification of documents. They will also have improved their skills in detecting impostors using fake travel documents, and have a better knowledge on flows of illegal immigrants, human trafficking and drugs smuggled to Europe and the United Kingdom from the region.
Commenting on the course, Andrew Tate, Chargé d’Affairs at the British Embassy in Guatemala, said:
There is a growing increase in the number of foreigners trying to enter Guatemala using fake travel documents. This potentially poses a threat to Guatemala’s national security and we want to work closely with the local authorities to help them combat such actions and tackle the illegal activities from worldwide organized crime.