Ukrainian border guards enhance ability to detect forged documents on OSCE study tour to the Netherlands

Senior officers from Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service (SBGS) strengthened their document fraud detection capability and explored ways to enhance border control operations at airports and maritime ports during a study tour to the Netherlands organized by the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department, in collaboration with the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, from 7 to 10 April.

The participants worked with experts at the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee’s Identity Fraud and Documents Centre of Expertise (ECID) to learn about emerging trends in document forgeries, advanced forensic examination techniques and the development of training programmes with forensic document experts. Since ECID experts also provide training to first-line border guards, these exchanges will directly support Ukraine’s Main Forensic Center in developing new training programmes, modelled after ECID’s training structure, and enabling them to deploy trainers previously prepared through the OSCE’s training-of-trainers courses for SBGS.

During a site visit at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, the officials learned about the integration of modern screening technologies such as automated border control e-gates (ABC e-gates). This supports the intensified efforts by Ukrainian authorities to reopen Ukraine’s civilian airports upon the cessation of hostilities and to deepen the understanding of these technologies toward supporting the country in updating its legislation for implementing ABC e-gates.

Given the role of Ukraine’s maritime ports in its grain exports, the SBGS officials also benefitted from a site visit at Rotterdam Port, one of the world’s busiest ports, to explore its modernized operations, including the implementation of automation procedures and cargo container screening processes.

A visit to Keesing Technologies, an identification technologies company, in Amsterdam was an opportunity for participants to learn more about the role of public-private engagement for ensuring document experts are up to date on the latest advances in passport security, including passport features that are the intellectual property of commercial companies.

The study visit was part of an ongoing project supporting the OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation in reducing illegal border crossings with a fake or stolen identity, which is funded by the United States of America.