Border Management

Tajikistan shares more than 4000 km of border with its neighbours Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and China.

With an unstable security situation on the Afghan border, challenges with cross-border trafficking in persons and narcotics, complex relationships with neighbouring nations, and a highly rural, isolated and mountainous borderland region; it is critical that Tajikistan’s borders are well-managed.

In 2002, the IOM mission in Tajikistan began its Border Management activities and has successfully supported the Government of Tajikistan and the Border Forces of Tajikistan (BFT) to improve gender equality, facilitate cross-border dialogue with neighbouring countries, upgrade and green border security and infrastructure and build the capacity of BFT personnel.

Capacity building of Border Guard Personnel

Since 2006, IOM has conducted capacity building projects for male and female members of the Border Force of Tajikistan (BFT). This has included the construction of several training centres for border guards, and the roll out of IOM training curriculums on ‘Integrated Border Management”, and “Humanitarian Border Management” which are embedded in the BFT core curricula. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, training is also being provided to the VFT on IOM’s Health, Border and Mobility Management (HBMM) framework in order to prevent, detect and respond to communicable diseases in the context of widespread and multi-directional human mobility.

Improvement of border security infrastructure and technical support

IOM Tajikistan continues to take important steps in developing border security infrastructure and technical support. Improvements have been made to infrastructure such as the International Dushanbe Airport, border checkpoints and customs posts; both in terms of ensuring adequate facilities and infrastructure for BFT staff and migrants passing through, but also greening of infrastructure and establishment of renewable energy systems – such as the construction of a hybrid solar system at the Kyzyl Art customs post and the installation of water lines to several border posts. IOM is also upgrading the IT network and equipment, and connectivity at border crossing points.

Gender mainstreaming

In coordination with the Government of Tajikistan, IOM has worked to mainstream gender throughout border management policy, trainings provided to BFT personnel, and to increase the recruitment of female personnel as well as the promotion of women to higher positions. With IOM’s support, the Border Forces of Tajikistan implemented system reform to achieve a more equal distribution of male and female personnel. For more information on the work IOM Tajikistan is doing on gender mainstreaming in BFT, please see our informational video in English, here, and in Tajik, here.